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Jansen Harkins

Ducks Activate Jansen Harkins From IR

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The Anaheim Ducks have activated forward Jansen Harkins off of injured reserve. Harkins has missed the first seven games of Anaheim’s season due to an upper-body injury sustained in the preseason. Despite returning to the active roster, Harkins is expected to serve as a healthy scratch in Anaheim’s Saturday matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Harkins is a true fourth-line forward for Anaheim. He recorded six points and a minus-13 through 62 games with the Ducks last season, while averaging roughly 11 minutes of ice time. But it was his off-puck impact that stood out. Harkins posted the best faceoff percentage (53.4) and third-most hits (136) on the Ducks 2024-25 roster. He had a similar impact with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023-24 season – recording four assists and 74 hits in 45 games. Before a one-year stay in Pittsburgh, Harkins sepnt four years with the Winnipeg Jets, where he racked up 27 points and 86 hits in 154 games.

Despite Harkins bringing a poised and physical style, the Ducks will have little motivation to change up their fourth-line. Ryan Poehling has managed well enough as the team’s fourth-line center. He has managed two assists, splitting the gap in scoring between his wingers Sam Colangelo (one point) and Ross Johnston (three points). With chemistry looking strong between that trio, Harkins’ season debut may need to wait until Anaheim needs a physical, shutdown presence that Poehling can’t provide.

Injury Notes: Dickinson, Mikkola, Harkins

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Chicago Blackhawks centerman Jason Dickinson is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and will be a game-time decision on Sunday, head coach Jeff Blashill told Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio. Dickinson headed to the locker room partway through Friday’s game against Vancouver after receiving a heavy, awkward hit from Canucks winger Conor Garland. He returned, left again, then returned again throughout the remaining game – though it seems the injury is sticking around a day later.

Dickinson has been a core piece of one of Chicago’s best lines this season, centering fellow NHL veterans Ryan Donato and Ilya Mikheyev. The trio have outscored their opponents four-to-one in six games together, more than any other Hawks line. Dickinson sitting out of Sunday’s match against the Anaheim Ducks would force Chicago to break up their starting forward line against stingy competition. The Ducks sit with a 2-2-0 record and negative goal-differential (-3) but they’re led by legendary Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville and roster a long list of promising youngsters who can takeover games. Chicago has been thriving as of late – with a 2-1-1 record in their last four – but this injury news could bring that down.

Other injury news from across the NHL:

  • Speaking of Anaheim, bruising forward Jansen Harkins returned to the team’s practice in a no-contact jersey on Saturday, captured by Patrick Present of The Hockey News. Harkins is recovering from an upper-body injury sustained in a preseason match against the Los Angeles Kings on September 21. He was originally expected to miss about eight weeks, placing his return date still three weeks away. But already returning to practice could be enough to shorten that timeframe for Harkins. Then again, the Ducks may want to monitor their bottom-line bruiser a bit closer, after he ranked third on the team with 136 hits in 62 games last season.
  • Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola left Saturday’s match against the Buffalo Sabres with an upper-body injury. He sustained the injury after getting tangled up with Sabres winger Tyson Kozak and falling awkwardly into the boards. Mikkola only appeared in seven minutes of ice time prior to the injury. He remains without any scoring through seven games this season, though the physical impact Mikkola brings to each game will still be sorely missed should he have to sit out any more. He was a nightly feature in both of Florida’s Stanley Cup wins, and continues to play upwards of 24 minutes a night this season. That role will be tough to replace. Recent waiver claim Donovan Sebrango would be the next in line for ice time. He recorded 20 points and 79 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Belleville Senators last season, and has no scoring in four career appearances in the NHL.

Jansen Harkins Placed On IR, Set To Miss Approximately Eight Weeks

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10/2: Anaheim has officially placed Harkins on injured reserve, following their last round of training camp cuts.

9/27: Having just locked up Mason McTavish earlier today, the Anaheim Ducks have more news affecting their forward core; Jansen Harkins is set to miss approximately eight weeks with an upper body injury, per the team’s announcement. 

Harkins was injured last Sunday against the Kings after a hit into the side boards, and was seen leaving the arena in a sling. 

The 28-year-old is entering the final year of his two-year, $1.575MM deal with Anaheim. Despite being waived out of camp last fall, Harkins ended up playing in 62 games for the Ducks, notching 6 points, and making most of his impact defensively. 

Originally drafted 47th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2015, having shown high playmaking ability in the WHL, the Cleveland native spent the next four seasons in the Jets’ system, before finally earning his role in the NHL and becoming a key depth forward. After eight total seasons contributing in the Jets’ organization, Harkins was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he spent 2023-24 between the big club, and the AHL, in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

With the veteran set to miss time, perhaps eyes now turn toward young centers Nikita Nesterenko and Tim Washe, who both have the right skillset for Anaheim’s bottom six. 

Nesterenko was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 draft by the Minnesota Wild. The 24-year-old became a key player for Boston College and legitimate NHL prospect, whose rights were acquired by the Ducks in the 2023 John Klingberg deal. Since then, Nesterenko has spent most time with the San Diego Gulls, showcasing a strong two-way game based around defensive responsibility. The Brooklyn, New York native has appeared in 32 games with the Ducks over the last two seasons, netting 6 goals. 

Washe, a 24-year-old with imposing size at 6’3”, is a more recent pickup for the Ducks, coming in last season as an undrafted free agent from Western Michigan University. Washe jumped out of college to the pros last season, skating in two games for the Ducks, having yet to play in the AHL. However, with five collegiate seasons under his belt, including winning the 2025 National Championship as captain of the Broncos, Washe could make a case to slot into the bottom six for Harkins.

With key roster cuts to be made across the league in the next week, eyes will be on the Ducks as they enter the Joel Quenneville era, with several young players vying for spots.

Ducks Assign Jansen Harkins To AHL

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The Ducks have made a roster move on their off day.  Per the AHL’s transactions log, Anaheim has re-assigned forward Jansen Harkins to AHL San Diego.

Harkins is in his first season with Anaheim after signing a two-year, one-way contract with the Ducks on the second day of free agency back in July.  His $787.5K cap hit will come off the books following the demotion.

Harkins was brought up a week and a half ago and played a regular role on the fourth line during that time.  Overall, the 27-year-old has played in six games with Anaheim so far this season, picking up an assist along with 15 hits in 10:40 of playing time per night.  However, Harkins has been quite productive with the Gulls.  So far, he has tallied five goals and 12 assists in 11 games; his 1.55 points-per-game average is second-best among AHL players with five or more appearances.

With Anaheim being off until Monday, it’s possible that this is just a paper move, one that allows them to stall Harkins’ waiver clock for a couple of days.  However, it also could be a sign that one of Mason McTavish (upper body) or Brock McGinn (lower body) are on the verge of returning from their respective injuries in which case they wouldn’t need to bring Harkins back right away.

Ducks Recall Jansen Harkins, Drew Helleson

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The Ducks have recalled forward Jansen Harkins and defenseman Drew Helleson from AHL San Diego ahead of Wednesday’s home game against the Golden Knights, Patrick Present of The Hockey News reports.

The moves give Anaheim some necessary reinforcements, especially up front. The team placed Robby Fabbri and Cam Fowler on injured reserve yesterday with lower-body and upper-body injuries, respectively, while also announcing that Mason McTavish was day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and uncertain for tonight’s game. Without Fabbri and McTavish, the Ducks would have only had 11 forwards and six defensemen on hand.

Harkins and Helleson thus come up to fill the two roster spots vacated by Fabbri and Fowler’s IR placements. While Helleson is likely ticketed for the press box, Harkins will likely find himself making his second appearance of the season should McTavish miss the game.

Harkins, 27, signed a two-year, $1.58MM contract with Anaheim in free agency over the summer. Despite inking a one-way contract, though, he failed to make the team out of camp and cleared waivers at the end of the preseason.

He’s been recalled once, recording a shot, hit and block in 10:11 of ice time in an overtime loss against the Avalanche on Oct. 18. The versatile 6’2″ forward has continued to be a high-end point-producer in the AHL – his 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in 11 games for San Diego are tied with Vinnie Hinostroza for the league lead.

Despite producing over a point per game in the AHL over the last three seasons, Harkins still hasn’t had much offensive success in the NHL. The 2015 second-round pick has made 200 career appearances with Anaheim, Pittsburgh and Winnipeg but has only 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points with a -12 rating while averaging just 9:22 per game. Last season, his only one in the Penguins organization, was especially difficult for him. He made 45 appearances but failed to score a goal on 37 shots, only totaling four assists.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Helleson will look to play in his first NHL game since the 2022-23 season while Fowler is on the shelf. The 2019 second-rounder has struggled heavily with San Diego this season, though, posting no points and a -5 rating in 12 outings. The 6’3″ right-shot defender scored once and averaged 13:39 per game across three NHL contests two years ago, his only top-level audition to date.

The Ducks’ active roster is now full, although that will likely change this afternoon. Goaltender James Reimer is on waivers and his roster spot will open up, either by virtue of him being claimed or being assigned to San Diego.

Snapshots: Panthers, Joshua, Honzek, Harkins

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Already missing three forwards due to illness or injuries, the Panthers won’t have forward Jonah Gadjovich available to them tonight against Vegas due to an undisclosed injury, relays team reporter Jameson Olive.  The 26-year-old has taken a regular turn on the fourth line so far this season, picking up a goal in Florida’s first six games.  As Florida doesn’t have enough cap space to afford a recall from the minors, they will dress just 17 skaters for this one, ten forwards and seven blueliners.

It’s not all bad news on that front, however.  Head coach Paul Maurice indicated that winger Matthew Tkachuk is expected to return from his illness on Tuesday while captain Aleksander Barkov should be back not long after that.  Meanwhile, Tomas Nosek is due to return early next month for their Global Series games.  With that in mind, while the Panthers will be eligible for a cap-exempt recall after tonight’s contest, they’re unlikely to actually need to use it.

More from around the NHL:

  • Canucks forward Dakota Joshua skated today for the first time as he continues to recover from surgery to address a cancerous lump from earlier this summer, mentions NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman (Twitter link). The 28-year-old had a breakout effort last season, notching career-highs in goals (18), assists (14), points (32), and hits (245) across 63 regular season contests, earning him a four-year, $13MM extension in late June.  There remains no timetable for Joshua’s return but the fact he has returned to the ice is certainly a good sign.
  • The Flames have placed forward Samuel Honzek on injured reserve, relays Tim Hiebert of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The 19-year-old is in his first professional season and played in four games before sustaining an upper-body injury that will keep him out on a week-to-week basis.  Calgary now has an open slot on their active roster and it stands to reason that it won’t take too long for it to be filled, likely with the expected pending return of Kevin Rooney who was a full participant in practice on Friday.
  • The Ducks have re-assigned forward Jansen Harkins to AHL San Diego, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 27-year-old is in his first season with Anaheim after signing with them in free agency but cleared waivers at the end of training camp.  Harkins was brought up yesterday following the injury to Isac Lundestrom and Frank Vatrano’s absence from the team for paternity leave and he suited up in their loss to Colorado, recording one shot on goal in 10:11 of ice time.  In a corresponding move, Vatrano is now back on the active roster.

Ducks Place Frank Vatrano On Injured Reserve

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12:07 p.m.: Vatrano isn’t hurt; rather, he’s been placed on IR while on paternity leave, the Ducks said. However, center Isac Lundeström is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t play tonight, so Harkins will likely draw into the lineup. Vatrano

11:52 a.m.: Ducks forward Frank Vatrano is no longer on the active roster, per the NHL’s media site. PuckPedia indicates he’s been placed on injured reserve, meaning he likely sustained an undisclosed ailment in Anaheim’s overtime win over Utah on Wednesday. They’ve used his open roster spot to summon winger Jansen Harkins from AHL San Diego in a corresponding move, per the league’s transactions log.

It’s been a tough start to the season for Vatrano, who’s skated in a second-line role alongside Ryan Strome and Troy Terry but has nonetheless had his minutes reduced from last year. After scoring a career-high 37 goals in 2023-24 while logging 18:21 per game, the 30-year-old has only one assist through three games this season and is averaging 15:37 per night.

He’s struggled to generate chances offensively, only recording five shots on goal. It’s a tiny sample size, but that only projects out to 137 shots over 82 games after recording 231 and 272 shots over the last two years, respectively. Nonetheless, the Ducks are 2-1-0 with a +1 goal differential through their first three showings, even without many game-breaking offensive performances. Their start can be credited to strong goaltending in the early stages from Lukáš Dostál (two starts) and preseason waiver claim James Reimer (one start), who’ve combined for a .924 SV% and 2.32 GAA. Usual starter John Gibson remains on IR after undergoing appendectomy surgery almost a month ago.

Vatrano has been on one of the most value-laden deals in the league over the past few seasons. After signing a three-year, $10.95MM deal to join the Ducks as a free agent in 2022, he’s churned out 59 goals and 102 points in 166 games in Orange County. That’s good enough for 0.61 points per game, far above his 0.48 career average. The pending UFA could be one of the top names available at the trade deadline if Anaheim remains far away from playoff contention and gets his scoring back under him after he returns from what all sides hope is a brief absence.

Harkins, 28, signed a two-year, $1.58MM deal with the Ducks in free agency this offseason after an underwhelming 2023-24 campaign that saw him post just four assists in 45 games with the Penguins. It wasn’t surprising when he cleared waivers earlier this month. He had a goal and an assist in his first two games for San Diego this season after posting 12 points in 14 games during AHL assignments with the Penguins last year. The 2015 second-round Jets pick has 31 points in 199 career NHL games over the previous five years.

With 13 healthy forwards on the roster after the moves, there’s no guarantee Harkins will make his Ducks debut tonight against the Avalanche. He’ll likely sit in the press box and serve as last-minute injury insurance.

Waiver Wire: 10/4/24

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According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman all 17 players on waivers yesterday have cleared. There are again several players to hit the wire today as reported by Friedman:

Anaheim Ducks

F Jansen Harkins

Boston Bruins

G Michael DiPietro
F Vinni Lettieri
D Jordan Oesterle

Florida Panthers

F William Lockwood

Los Angeles Kings

F Taylor Ward

New Jersey Devils

F Justin Dowling
F Mike Hardman
F Samuel Laberge
F Nathan Légaré
F Maxwell Willman

Philadelphia Flyers

F Olle Lycksell
F Anthony Richard

Pittsburgh Penguins

F Emil Bemström
D Nate Clurman
F Jonathan Gruden
F Joona Koppanen
D Filip Král
D John Ludvig
F Samuel Poulin

Tampa Bay Lightning

G Matt Tomkins

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Alex Steeves

Washington Capitals

D Ethan Bear
F Luke Philp
F Michael Sgarbossa

Ducks Sign Jansen Harkins

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed centerman Jansen Harkins to a two-year contract. No contract details have been released.

Harkins spent most of last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, recording four points, 21 penalty minutes, and a -4 across 45 games. He curbed his low-scoring through a handful of minor league appearances, netting 12 points in 14 games.

This season was Harkins’ first year away from the Winnipeg Jets, who originally selected him in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He made his pro debut in the season following his draft, recording three points in his first six AHL games but ultimately opting to return to juniors for the 2016-17 season. That delayed Harkins’ first full pro season to 2017-18, when he managed 13 points in 46 AHL games and six points in six ECHL games.

Harkins found his scoring groove in the years after his rookie season, managing 31 points in 70 AHL games in 2018-19, then matching that scoring in 30 games in 2019-20. That latter scoring earned Harkins the first 29 games, and seven points, of his NHL career.

Harkins has since been in-and-out of Winnipeg’s lineup, with his 13 points in 77 games in 2021-22 marking his only full year in the NHL. He brings a heavy, physical presence to the lineup, even amidst meager scoring. Harkins should find a role on Anaheim’s bottom line, where he could get a chance to play with the similar style of Brett Lesaon.

Penguins Notes: Pettersson, Guentzel Trade Return, Harkins

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Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson is one of their notable extension candidates this summer as he’ll officially enter the final year of his contract in July.  Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examined some of the possible comparable players for the blueliner, concluding that a long-term agreement for him could approach $6MM per season, a fair-sized raise for someone making just over $4MM per year now.  The 28-year-old is coming off a career year, one that saw him collect 28 points in 82 games while logging over 22 minutes a night which certainly will help his case in negotiations.  Considering the long-term deals Pittsburgh has on the books already, it’s quite possible that the team could look to move him if they feel he’ll be too expensive to keep around.

Elsewhere in Pittsburgh:

  • As a result of Carolina being eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday, the Jake Guentzel trade from March is now finalized. CapFriendly points out (Twitter link) that because the Hurricanes lost (failing to reach the Stanley Cup Final), the conditional 2024 second-round pick (44th overall from Philadelphia) they gave up will not be upgraded to their 2024 first-round selection.  Meanwhile, the conditional fifth-round pick will no longer transfer to Pittsburgh since Carolina isn’t going to win the Stanley Cup this year.
  • Forward Jansen Harkins is slated to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer. Although he eventually earned the trust of the coaching staff as the season went on, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests that it’s not a guarantee that the Penguins try to bring him back.  Harkins was claimed off waivers in training camp to add more depth up front but GM Kyle Dubas could conceivably try to bring in other players to battle for those last couple of roster spots while moving on from the ones who has those spots this season.  The 26-year-old had four assists in 45 games while averaging just over eight minutes a night of ice time.

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