Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that forward Jansen Harkins underwent hand surgery on Friday morning and will be out long-term. The 26-year-old is now listed on Injured Reserve (IR).
Harkins appeared to injure his hand in a fight with Beck Malenstyn in the Penguins’ 6-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.
Harkins joined the Penguins organization this season and played 43 games with the team, recording four assists. In 11 games with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin, he has four goals and five assists for nine points in 11 games.
Taken in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, Harkins played with the big club between 2019-20 and 2022-23, scoring 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 154 games.
Harkins is in the second of a two-year contract worth $850,000 per season. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Penguins are 28-25-8 with 64 points, seventh in the Metropolitan Division and eight points out of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Their next game is Saturday afternoon in Boston against the Bruins, then they fly home to host the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.
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