Earlier this month, Lucas Mercuri informed the Hurricanes that he wouldn’t be signing with them. It didn’t take Carolina long to find a team that the center was amenable to joining, as the Lightning announced that they acquired the prospect for a 2025 sixth-round pick and signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal, which begins next season, were not disclosed.
The 23-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Hurricanes back in 2020, going 159th overall. In essence, they’re going to land a pick that’s somewhat close to what they originally used on him which isn’t the worst return for a player who doesn’t want to sign with a team. It wasn’t disclosed why Mercuri didn’t want to…