The Tampa Bay Lightning placed center Jansen Harkins on waivers Tuesday, a roster move that clears the path for Dominic James to come off injured reserve later in the week.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman first reported the transaction. Whether another club claims Harkins or he clears, the Lightning can activate James on Thursday and restore a forward they believe offers more in the bottom six.
Harkins, 29, joined Tampa Bay only this summer on a one-year, two-way deal worth $850,000. He had spent the previous two seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, where his profile stayed consistent with the rest of an eight-year NHL career: a physical center who wins more than his share of faceoffs and rarely produces.
In 106 games in Orange County, he scored five goals and added nine assists for 14 points, finished minus-19, delivered 249 hits, and won 52.5 percent of his draws.
Those numbers describe a useful depth piece on a cheap contract, not a player a contending roster is built around.
Tampa Bay’s decision looks straightforward once James is set beside him. The 24-year-old is less of a pure hitter than Harkins, though he is willing to play through contact, and he brings substantially more offense.
Last season, James scored seven goals and 15 points in 43 games.
The Lightning have not been able to use that production yet. James opened the year on injured reserve after breaking his hand in offseason training, which is why Harkins was still in the mix when the schedule began.
Harkins’ own start was brief. He dressed for the season-opening 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers on October 1, went pointless in a little under 11 minutes, and was scratched for the next two games.
A second-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2015, he has also played for Pittsburgh and Anaheim. Across 306 regular-season games he has 18 goals and 27 assists.
He is the son of former Calgary and Hartford forward Todd Harkins, so the waiver notice lands on a second-generation career that has been defined by role work rather than scoring.
If Harkins goes unclaimed, Tampa Bay can assign him to the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch. The 24-hour window means the club will not know his destination until Wednesday afternoon.
Columbus placed Mikael Pyyhtia on waivers the same day, so Harkins is not the only forward available, but the Lightning’s move is less about the open market than about making room for James.
Cheap forward depth is always useful in Tampa Bay. In this case the organization simply decided the player coming back from a broken hand is the better fit.
