For the first time in three years Jansen Harkins found himself back in the AHL. The Jets 2015 2nd rounder graduated from that league after an excellent 2019-20 season with the Moose where he was a point per game player (31 points in 30 games). He would go on to play 29 games for the Jets that season which included scoring his first regular season NHL goal as well as a playoff goal (vs the Flames in the bubble).
Harkins would play 26 games the following season in the NHL with Winnipeg during the covid shortened year (56 game schedule) and then really get his chance to play some games hitting 77 during the 2021-22 season where he scored seven goals and added six assists.
Which brings us to the 2022-23 season. The BC product signed a two-year deal last July (cap hit of 850K) but was reassigned and cleared waivers back in October during training camp. Rather than pout he produced for the Moose scoring five goals with four assists for nine points in six games. He would be recalled in November. After playing 22 games under Rick Bowness where he scored three goals and added two assists he was placed back on waivers by the Jets and was once again assigned to Manitoba. He would resume his points production to conclude the AHL season finishing with 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points in 44 games. Extrapolating that he could have finished in Top 5 in AHL points in a full season. He also produced in the playoffs providing Manitoba with four goals and three assists for seven points in their five-game series with the Admirals.
He reflected on the year that was, working hard regardless of where he is playing, transitioning disappointment into motivation and his takeaways from playoff hockey.
