Ducks sign Cruz Lucius to two-year contract

The financial details on the deal have yet to be disclosed.

Anaheim acquired Lucius from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday in exchange for future considerations. Lucius had yet to sign his entry-level contract with Pittsburgh, so the Ducks still had to come to terms on an agreement with Lucius after the trade.

Last season, the Lawrence, Kansas native put up 15 goals and 31 assists for 46 points in 36 games for Arizona State University in the NCAA.

Lucius, 22, was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes out of the Unites States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. In his first post-draft season of 2022-23, he notched 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points in 34 games in his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin. In 2023-24, he registered 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in 36 games for Wisconsin.

In March of 2024, Lucius was dealt to the Penguins as part of the deadline deal that sent forward Jake Guentzel to the Hurricanes.

Lucius transferred to Arizona State for the 2024-25 season, where he had just two goals and eight assists for 10 points in an injury-shortened 19-game campaign.

At 6’0″ and 178 pounds, Lucius is an offensively inclined winger known for his passing and creativity.

The Ducks, who will be looking to build off last season which saw them earn 92 points and a first-round playoff series win, begin their 2026-27 preseason on September 20 against the San Jose Sharks, before kicking off their regular season on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights on October 2.