Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization. 

Next up is our pick for No. 18, who is an oft-forgotten part of the blockbuster Jake Guentzel deal prior to the trade deadline in 2024. That would be right wing Cruz Lucius.

#18: F Cruz Lucius

Lucius, 21, was drafted in the fourth round (124th overall) by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2022. The 6-foot, 178-pound forward was traded to the Penguins as part of that Guentzel trade, along with forwards Ville Koivunen and Vasily Ponomarev as well as a conditional first-round pick that turned into Harrison Brunicke. And, he is an oft-overlooked part of that deal.

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A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNDTP), Lucius committed to the University of Wisconsin and was a productive player there, registering 24 goals and 68 points in 70 games from 2022-24. He decided to transfer to Arizona State University (ASU) for the 2024-25 season, but it came with a setback, as a torn labrum and subsequent surgery held him back.

Upon his return to the lineup with ASU, Lucius put up two goals and 10 points in 19 games. Obviously, the production matters to a large extent with Lucius, and he will look to build off of last season's struggles to take the next steps this season.

But he does have some tools to keep an eye on. 

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Lucius's game is deceptive by nature, and he has - at times - displayed some elite-level playmaking ability in comparison to his peers. Consistency has always been the question with him, but when he's on, he's a force.

And that deception shows in both his ability to ward off defenders and in his shot, which is - quite possibly - a shot that can play at the NHL level.

Cruz's floor is a bit low, even if his ceiling is somewhat intriguing, which is why he finds himself below some other names from the Penguins' prospects pool on this list. But the potential for him to blossom into an everyday NHLer is definitey there, so he may be one to keep an eye on as his season progresses with ASU in 2025-26.

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Feature Image Credit: Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images