New Penguins forward Jansen Harkins is in the mix for a bottom-six role
Share this post:
Jansen Harkins is new to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
So new, in fact, that there wasn’t even a nameplate above his locker stall in the team’s dressing room after practice Tuesday in Cranberry.
But a mere 22 hours into his existence with the team, he was effusive to simply be a part of the Penguins after being claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets.
“Just looking forward to a chance like this for quite a while now,” said Harkins, a left-hander who has played primarily left wing over four seasons in the NHL. “So just excited to be here and meet everybody and get on the ice and get underway.”
Last season, the opportunities were limited for Harkins at the NHL level. He played in 22 games, posting five points (three goals, two assists) while averaging 10 minutes, 49 seconds of ice time. At the AHL level, he was productive last season, playing in 44 games with the Manitoba Moose and posting 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists).
“I think I can bring a lot of different stuff,” said Harkins, a second-round pick (No. 47 overall) of the Jets in 2015. “I think speed and some tenacity, and I think just being a good, solid 200-foot player and just try to get up and down the ice. I don’t really know too much about the team yet. So I think (Wednesday) and the games coming up, I’ll see where I kind of fit in and get to know everybody and just kind of go from there. Not trying to have too many expectations right off the bat.”
Management seems to have designs on the 26-year-old Harkins (6-foot-2, 197 pounds) being an option among the team’s bottom-six forwards.
“That’s one of the reasons why (president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas) brought him in,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He skates really well. He has good size. We think he could potentially help us in the puck pursuit game. He brings an element of physicality to our game. By nature of that, he’s going to make us hard to play against. He’s strong on the wall with his size and his strength. … He’s shown an ability to score goals at the (AHL) level. We’ll see if potentially that could translate. He’s one of those guys of a number of guys that are going to compete for those spots that are open right now.”
The son of former NHL forward Todd Harkins, Jansen Harkins was born in Cleveland but lived there for only about six months before moving to North Vancouver, British Columbia. So having his locker stall — even sans a nameplate — in the vicinity of a handful of superstars’ stalls — including Canadian icon Sidney Crosby’s — offered a considerable thrill on his first day with the Penguins.
“I don’t know what kid from Canada doesn’t want to come here and sit next to these guys,” Harkins said. “So super cool day for me and just trying to kind of soak it in and just enjoy it.”
Joseph injured
Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph will be sidelined on a day-to-day basis because of an undisclosed injury, Sullivan said.
He was absent from Tuesday’s practice.
Expected to be deployed on the left side of the third defensive pairing this season, Joseph has appeared in three games this preseason and has one goal with four shots.
Quartet recalled
The Penguins recalled forwards Avery Hayes and Rem Pitlick as well as defensemen Xavier Ouellet and Ty Smith from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL on Tuesday. Ouellet, Pitlick and Smith cleared waivers and were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday. Hayes is signed to an AHL contract.