Week two of the countdown kicks off with an intriguing forward who could be in line to make his NHL debut this season.
NameLucas MercuriPositionForwardAge (as of October 1, 2026)24Height/Weight6’3″, 223 lbs.Expected 2026-27 TeamSyracuse CrunchDraft – Year, Round2020 6th Round (159) by CarolinaPrevious RankingsNot RankedJustinG. Ranking18Final Rank15
Stats:
Our Thoughts:
In March of 2025 the Tampa Bay Lightning made a move that didn’t rattle a lot of cages when they sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to Carolina for the rights to Lucas Mercuri. They quickly signed him and the forward from UMass made his debut later that season, appearing in six games for Syracuse. Last season, he earned a spot on the Crunch’s roster and made his way up a spot in the middle six and on the power play. Along the way he scored 14 goals and 12 assists in 67 games while racking up 132 penalty minutes.
In case you were wondering, yes he led the team in penalty minutes (by a healthy margin) but in the rough-and-tumble AHL that total was bested by eleven other players. Give it up to Coachella Valley’s Ian McKinnon for leading the way with 245 PIMs. Mercuri’s solid season earned him the Ephesus “Brightest Prospect” / Rookie of the Year award from Syracuse and a chance for more playing time this season.
While he doesn’t do a lot of flashy things on the ice he does most of them well. His wrist shot is accurate and hard enough to beat goaltenders from the circles. It’s not often that a rookie, even an older one, comes into the AHL and puts up more goals than he did in college, but that’s what Mercuri, who scored 10 goals in his best season at UMass did. He reads the game well and can distribute the puck to his linemates through the neutral zone to facilitate zone entries, and usually arrives on the forecheck will a little ill intent. At 6’3″ and 223 lbs. he has NHL size and isn’t shy about throwing it around.
Like a lot of players on this list (and in the AHL in general) he has to improve his skating to advance to the next level. He has the speed to be effective at the AHL level, but might be a step or two behind in the NHL, a trait that would negate what he can do on the forecheck and in his own zone.
In typical Lightning prospect abilities, he isn’t going to hurt his team in the defensive zone. Mercuri is usually in the right spot to make the play and has the reach to disrupt passes. If the play heads along the boards, there is a good chance he is going to take his player out or win a battle for the puck.
Expect him to get a long look at training camp for a spot on the fourth line for the Lightning, but there might be a few too many bodies in front of him right now. Even if he doesn’t make the roster straight out of camp, he plays the style of game that the Lightning like when they make call-ups. Meanwhile he should maintain a spot in the middle six with the Crunch, likely bouncing back and forth between center and the wing. If he can keep winning face-offs, that will only help his cause.
Your Thoughts:
“Mercuri, I think would make a great 4th line center.”
“Mercuri is a big boy who can produce at 4th line NHL level IMO, and needs to be on the 4th line start of this season.”
Highest ranking was 6th with multiple votes. Majority of his votes came from the 12th to 20th spots.
Highlight Videos:
Mercuri fought his way to the front of the net just in time to screen the goaltender. He has the ability and hands to twist around and knock the puck into the net. In the Lightning/Crunch system, a player that can create a little chaos in front of the net is always going to do well.
While he likes to do most of his damage from right in front of the net, his shot has been described at “NHL level”. It’s not overly hard, but Mercuri is usually in a shooting position, and therefore can get the shot off pretty quickly.
A big body with the puck is going to always draw some attention. Mercuri held onto it here and made the nice little back pass. He’s not Adam Oates with the puck, but passes the puck pretty well for a player known more for his physical play than his offense.
Getting a gift is one thing. Making the most of it is what keeps players in the league. It would be nice to say Mercuri’s vicious forcheck created this turnover, but let’s be honest, this was an unforced turnover. Still, Mercuri didn’t make a mess out of it. A little stickhandling and a nice long reach allowed him to tuck it into the net.
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