The Pittsburgh Penguins have known for months that they wouldn’t be signing prospect Cruz Lucius this offseason. They made it official Wednesday, trading the 22-year-old winger to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.

Lucius, acquired by the Penguins from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Jake Guentzel trade March 7, 2024, recently completed his college career at Arizona State. Per the NHL collective bargaining agreement, draft picks who have exhausted their college eligibility have the right to become unrestricted free agents if they do not wish to sign with the team holding their rights.

According to puckpedia.com, to trigger unrestricted free agency, the player must make his intentions known to NHL Central Registry. The Ducks will hold Lucius’ rights for 30 days from that date of that notice.

On his April 2 radio show, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said Lucius and his representatives had informed the team that the player would not sign.

Dubas said it was up to Lucius to make public his reasons for doing so.

“Players are entitled to make their decision,” Dubas said. “I don’t think we’re at the position anymore where we have to beg people to come.”

Dubas said he thought it was a mistake for Lucius to pass up the chance to finish this past season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. Arizona State played its last game Feb. 28 and did not qualify for the NCHC or NCAA touraments.

“It’s a big miss, but that’s his decision and his right and we’ll just move on to the next,” Dubas said.

Lucius, a 6-foot, 178-pound right wing, had his best college season as a senior, recording 15 goals and 46 points in 36 games. He recorded 34 points in 34 games as a freshman and 34 points in 36 games as a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin.

Along with center Vasily Ponomarev and winger Ville Koivunen, Lucius was one of three prospects acquired by the Penguins in the Guentzel trade.

The Penguins still hold the NHL rights to the 24-year-old Ponomarev, who, as a restricted free agent last summer, elected to play this past season with Omsk Avangard of the KHL. He had 14 goals and 25 points in 55 games for Omsk.

Koivunen signed an eight-year, $32 million contract extension with the Penguins on Aug. 6.