Get to Know New Anaheim Ducks’ Forward Cruz Lucius – The Hockey Writers – Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have acquired another young player to continue to bolster their pipeline and improve their rebuild. On Wednesday, they secured right-wing prospect Cruz Lucius from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for future considerations. He most recently played with Arizona State University’s Sun Devils.

Lucius’ Performance

The 22-year-old is a highly skilled winger. Last season, he had 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) in 36 games, the second-most points per season in Sun Devils history, and was named to the NCHC First All-Conference Team. Fellow Ducks prospect Austin Burnevik was named to the Second All-Conference Team.

Per the NHL, he ranked seventh among the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in assists and ninth in points per game (1.28), while finishing 11th in total points. Among his conference, he led in assists per game, was second in total assists, and third in points. He led his team in goals, assists, and points.

Last season was his second at Arizona State, and it was an incredible testament to his skill set and resilience. He bounced back quickly after an injury in the 2024-25 season, when he played only 19 games and amassed just 10 points. He transferred to Arizona State from the University of Wisconsin Badgers in 2024.

With the Badgers, he had two productive seasons. He averaged a point per game in his rookie season, totaling 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 34 games. The following season, he also had 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists), that time playing 36 games.

Outside of the NCAA, he helped Team USA win a silver medal at the 2022 U-18 World Championship. He also played in the United States National Team Development Program for two seasons and represented the nation at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games.

He is a playmaker who consistently finds creative ways to move the puck. He can spot teammates through heavy traffic and dish passes to them with ease. He is skilled at deception, faking out opponents, and manipulating the defense to connect to his teammates or find the back of the net.

Zackary Weiner of The Hockey Writers noted that his goal-scoring ability cannot be overlooked. “He has a good set of hands and a lethal shot that has gone under the radar; if Lucius is left open in the slot, he’ll probably bury one,” he said. Overall, he is a skillful and productive player who adds another layer of depth to the Ducks’ pipeline and rebuild.

Lucius in the NHL

The Carolina Hurricanes drafted Lucius in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL entry draft. He was a part of the trade package when the Hurricanes acquired Jake Guentzel from the Penguins in 2024. He remained in the Penguins’ prospect pool until his trade to the Ducks. He has not yet played a game in the NHL.

However, his time may come sooner rather than later as he signed a two-year entry-level contract on Thursday. He will be appearing at Anaheim’s training camp and competing for a roster spot alongside some tough competition.

The team’s forward group is not yet set in stone with Cutter Gauthier’s contract still pending. It has become abundantly clear that multiple players will have to be offloaded to make cap space for the forward, especially after he was rumored to have rejected a four-year deal carrying an average annual value of $13 million. Consequently, general manager Pat Verbeek and his staff will be looking to fill in some gaps after potentially losing a handful of forwards.

Lucius will be competing with talented players like Nikita Klepov, Roger McQueen, and Herman Traff, just to name a few. Unless he has a standout performance at training camp, he will most likely be spending the season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the San Diego Gulls. He has the potential to be a secret weapon for the organization, especially with his elite and creative playmaking abilities.

We will see where the forward ends up after training camp next month. We can know, however, that either the Gulls or the Ducks will be lucky to have a talented player on their squad, and that Verbeek made another successful deal for the franchise.