The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired forward Lucas Mercuri from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2025, the team announced on Sunday.
Additionally, Tampa Bay signed Mercuri to a two-year, entry-level NHL contract beginning with the 2025-26 season.
He won't be able to play with the Lightning this season, because the trade was made after the NHL's trade deadline. Instead, he will report to the Syracuse Crunch and play the remainder of the 2024-25 season on an AHL tryout.
Serving as the alternate captain for the team, Mercuri skated in 40 games with University of Massachusetts this season, scoring 10 goals and 31 points with a plus-14 rating and two power-play tallies. He ranked third on the team for assists, fifth for points and tied for fourth for goals.
Mercuri was originally selected by the Hurricanes in the sixth round, 159th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft.