Lucas Mercuri

March 2025 – The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Mercuri from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Tampa Bay signed Mercuri to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2025-26 season. He will report to the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign on an AHL tryout. Mark Henry

March 2024 -Having the opportunity to watch Lucas Mercuri in person, his biggest asset is his size and how he uses it. Mercuri is 6-foot-3 and weighs 220 pounds, and he knows that. Any time he got into a board battle, he would win that battle 90% of the time. He was highly physical, knocking many Maine players on their keister during those games. Mercuri also understands his role, which is to use that frame to post up in front of the goalie and crash the net, which is how he got his goal. His linemate was behind the net, and he won the box out in front and just tapped the puck home. His skating can sometimes be a little suspect, and his face-offs were 50/50 on the weekend (he went three of 16 on Friday and nine of 14 on Saturday), but I see an NHL player in there. Mercuri’s play style is about an NHL fourth-line center grinder, as I have seen, so there is a chance he could see NHL games down the line. Nick Bass

March 2022 – Mercuri is a significant center for UMass in the NCAA. He sits tenth in the team, scoring six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 36 games. He does not project as a high-end offensive threat, but his size at his current age will likely see him get a look in a bottom-six role at some point. Alex Wyatt

May 2021 – In his first full USHL season, Mercuri finished third on the Des Moines Buccaneers with 36 points in 45 games. He had 13 goals (third on the team) and 23 assists (also third) during the season and finished the year with points in four of his last five games. With a commitment to defending NCAA champions UMASS, Mercuri should have ample opportunities to further his development in a great program next season. Austin Broad

February 2021 – After getting drafted in the 6th round in the 2020 NHL Draft, Mercuri is having a good season in the USHL. Currently sitting with 10 goals and 23 points in 26 games for Des Moines, Mercuri finds himself 2nd on the team in both goals and points and tied for the team lead in assists. He plays in all situations for the Buccaneers and is used as a key member both at 5v5 and on special teams. Committed to UMASS Amherst for the 2022 season, Mercuri looks to continue to build on a confident two-way game before jumping to the next level in the NCAA. His versatility and ability to play in all situations give him a legitimate chance to reach the next level.  Austin Broad