Cruz Lucius

September 2026 – Lucius posted 15 goals and 31 assists over 36 games as a senior at Arizona State, earning NCHC First All-Star Team honors. His 31 assists ranked seventh among all NCAA skaters. Over his four NCAA seasons split between Wisconsin and Arizona State, he compiled 124 points in 125 games, almost a point per game. Originally a 2022 fourth-round pick by Carolina, his rights moved through Pittsburgh before Anaheim acquired him on August 19 and signed him to a two-year entry-level deal. The 6-0, 178-pound right winger is a pass-first playmaker with vision and deception. The skating has been questioned since his draft year. Andrew Epps

August 2025 – Cruz only played nineteen games in 2024–25 due to a shoulder labrum injury that required surgery, which kept him sidelined for the first half of the season. This limited the opportunity to fully evaluate his progression at Arizona State after transferring from the University of Wisconsin. Despite the small sample size, he produced ten points and showcased strong playmaking, vision, and poise. A healthy 2025–26 campaign will be important for his development. His older brother, Chaz, recently retired from hockey at age twenty-one due to a genetic condition, raising some concern about Cruz’s long-term health. For now, there is optimism that he can complete his collegiate career and transition to the professional level. Victor Nuño

March 2024 – Lucius has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a part of the package for Jake Guentzel. Curtis Rines

June 2023 – Lucuis’ freshman year was a little bit surprising for the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA. After an injury riddled draft year, most went into his freshman year not knowing what to expect from him. Lucuis ended up putting up 34 points in 34 games, which led the Badgers in scoring. His hockey IQ is impressive for his age and his defensive game was pretty solid, but one thing that he can work on to improve his overall game is adding a little more speed but the more he gets in the weight room, the more that will improve. His projection for the NHL is still probably around a middle six forward but his production is certainly a good sign that there is still another level he can achieve. Nick Bass

July 2022 – Lucius has been selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. He is set to begin his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin in 2022-23. Nick Richard

May 2022 – Lucius missed a lot of time due to an undisclosed injury this past season — more than five months from October 2021 to March 2022 to be exact — and was a bit shakey upon his return, only earning a goal in his first five games back. As the U18 Worlds came around, however, Lucius started hitting his stride, as the prospect earned eight points in six games to close out the tournament. He finished the USHL season with only seven points in 10 games, so the contrast was noticeable in his game.

A great playmaker with a heavy shot, Lucius offers a lot of offensive versatility. He can make plays in-tight or stretch the ice, he can slow down or push the pace of play to his liking, and does an above-average job defensively due to a decent compete level. He could stand to improve his skating a bit, and his 6-foot, 176-pound frame could use a bit more muscle, but the well-roundedness of his offensive toolkit on top of his decent play in his own zone make him a good pick-up for a team looking for a potential middle-six winger who can do a bit of everything. It all depends on what the  injury was, though, and how likely it is to affect his projections. Teams will need to do their homework, and that alone should see him slip into the third round. Hadi Kalakeche