TAMPA - Forward Jansen Harkins, 29, is making a strong early case for an opening night roster spot with the Tampa Bay Lightning, impressing coaches with his faceoff work and penalty-kill instincts during training camp after signing a one-year, two-way contract with the club in July.
Harkins went 10-for-15 on faceoffs in his preseason debut in Nashville, leading all players in that contest in both faceoff wins and faceoff percentage. He is part of Thursday’s roster for a 7 p.m. game against the Florida Panthers at Benchmark International Arena.
“That’s kind of what I try to be shift in, shift out, night in, night out. I think that’s playing hard on guys, hard on pucks, not quitting on plays, stripping pucks and creating chances through hard work,” Harkins said. “As you get more comfortable and you start gaining chemistry, some of those plays might open up a bit more, but I think my foundation is just really speed and tenacity.”
Assistant coach Dan Hinote said Harkins has already demonstrated value on the penalty kill, a unit he described as particularly difficult to learn quickly. “He’s done a really good job of leaving his mark on the coaching staff and management through his work and through his style of play,” Hinote said. “I’d say within two days he picked it up really well, so that’s a big boon for him because a player like him has to be able to fill a role. If he can fill that role on the penalty kill, that gives him more value and a better chance to make the team. I’ve been really impressed.”
Head coach Jon Cooper has taken notice as well. “He settles things down out there,” Cooper said of Harkins. “We’ve played him in the middle, and he knows where to navigate and he’s got good instincts for the game, tries really hard. He’s made a good impression.”
Harkins spent last season with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring three goals and eight points in 44 games. He won 51.4% of his faceoffs for Anaheim - the second-best rate of any Ducks forward with a minimum of 100 faceoffs - and his 113 hits ranked fourth-most on the team. Over 300 career NHL games, he owns 45 points and 106 penalty minutes. A second-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets at the 2015 NHL Draft, he spent his first four seasons in Winnipeg before stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023-24 and Anaheim from 2024 to 2026.
“You want to go to a competitive team, and I think Tampa’s kind of the benchmark of the NHL for years now,” Harkins said, adding that familiar faces from Anaheim - fellow offseason Lightning additions John Carlson and Jeff Viel - have eased the transition.
Thursday’s preseason game against Florida at Benchmark International Arena tips at 7 p.m. and will offer Harkins another opportunity to strengthen his case before the Lightning finalize their opening night roster.