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Former Penguins prospect Jake Lucchini signs one-year two-way deal with Nashville Predators
Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jake Lucchini’s Nashville Predators deal hits a nerve for Pittsburgh Penguins fans who watched his Wilkes-Barre climb.
Nashville announced Monday that Lucchini signed a one-year, two-way contract for 2026-27, valued at $850,000 at the NHL level.
It is not a blockbuster, but it is a clean reminder that pro depth forwards can stick around for a long time.
Lucchini is 30, undrafted, and he earned everything the hard way, including that first Penguins opportunity.
Back in 2018-19, he jumped into Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and popped six goals in 15 AHL games, flashing that straight-line scoring touch.
The Predators are extending him because the production is there in Milwaukee right now, 13-25-38 in 48 games.
He is the kind of call-up option coaches trust when the bottom-six needs pace, forecheck pressure, and a clean third-period shift.
Jake Lucchini and the Pittsburgh Penguins what-if
Yeah, this one feels like a familiar Penguins story, a worker who never quite found a permanent NHL chair here.
Lucchini has 54 NHL games across Ottawa, Minnesota, and Nashville, with 3-3-6, so the offense has not fully translated up top.
Still, a two-way deal is smart roster math, and it keeps a useful veteran away from the waiver-wire roulette next fall.
For Pittsburgh, it lands as a small flashback during a season that has already demanded depth solutions.
The Penguins sit 29-15-12, and every healthy body matters when the schedule tightens after the break.
Lucchini is not a missed star, but he is the exact type you stash for injuries, penalty kills, and a surprise fourth-line spark.
Now he is writing his next chapter in Smashville, and Penguins fans can only nod at the ink.
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