Dubas: Cruz Lucius will not sign entry-level deal with Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Cruz Lucius will not sign with the club and can become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15, according to Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas.
In an interview on the GM Show on the Penguins Radio Network, Dubas indicated that Lucius informed the club that he will not be signing with them “for a few reasons that’s up to him to share.”
Lucius, 21, collected 15 goals and 46 points in 36 games as a senior with the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 2025-26 season. The Penguins originally acquired Lucius from the Carolina Hurricanes midway through the 2023-24 season as part of the Jake Guentzel trade.
“We felt we had a great opportunity for him, and the proof is in the pudding on the development side,” Dubas said. “Players are entitled to make their decision, and I don’t think we’re in a position here anymore where we have to beg people to come.”
Penguins forward prospect Cruz Lucius won't be signing with the Penguins after his senior season ended at Arizona State. He'll become a free agent when his rights expire on Aug. 15. Lucius, originally a fourth-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2022, was a piece in the Jake Guentzel Show more
The Hurricanes originally selected Lucius in the fourth round (No. 124 overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. His older brother, Chaz, was a first-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2021 who retired in 2025 after being diagnosed with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.
A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Lucius began his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin in 2022. He spent two seasons with the Badgers, collecting 24 goals and 68 points in 70 games, before transferring to ASU in 2024.
After an injury-plagued 2024-25 season with the Sun Devils, Lucius rebounded as a senior and led the team in every offensive category. Now, he’ll be able to pick his spot as a four-year college UFA, although there’s also a chance the Penguins trade the Lawrence, Kansas product before he becomes a free agent.
The Penguins currently sit in second place in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division with a 38-21-16 record and 92 points through 75 games this season.