Cruz Lucius was a top-10 prospect in the Pittsburgh Penguins' farm system, but he will not be signing in Pennsylvania, general manager Kyle Dubas said on the ‘GM Show on the Penguins Radio Network' on Thursday.

“(Lucius and his agent) informed us that that he was not going to be signing in Pittsburgh for a few reasons that's up to him to share,” Dubas said in the interview. “It's a personal thing for him. We felt we had a great opportunity for him, and the proof is in the pudding on the development side, but players are entitled to make their decision, and I don't think we're at the position here anymore where we have to beg people to come.”

Lucius was originally selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. His rights were transferred to Pittsburgh as part of the trade that sent Jake Guentzel to Raleigh back in March of 2024.

The 21-year-old just finished a fantastic season with the Arizona State Sun Devils in the NCAA, racking up 15 goals and 46 points in 36 games.

If he had signed with the Pens, Lucius could have had his entry-level contract begin for the 2026-27 season, and developed with the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on a tryout contract for the rest of this year.

Instead, he'll be able to pick his team as a four-year college UFA. The Penguins may still trade the Lawrence, Kansas native before he becomes a free agent in the middle of August.

“I think passing up a chance to get into the American League and developing here, it would have been a month already now, but obviously next few months, especially when your (college) team doesn't qualify for anything, it's a big miss,” Dubas continued. “But that's his decision and his right. And we'll just move on to the next.”

The Athletic's Scott Wheeler listed Lucius as Pittsburgh's No. 10 organizational prospect, calling him “a patient playmaker who slows the game down and uses delays, lightly weighted passes and the attention he pulls into himself to create through layers for his linemates.”

Wheeler asserted that Lucius' poor skating might cause his ceiling to be as an everyday AHL player. It'll be interesting to see if the right winger can crack an NHL roster over the next few years.