Draft Prospect Profile: Jansen Harkins

So much is to be debated about what the Flyers do with the seventh overall pick. As you've seen here over the past few weeks, there will be plenty of Top 10 options that will still be available when the Flyers pick, even if they miss out on some of the Top-5 projections.

But don't forget the Flyers second pick in the first round at a position to be determined. It is the pick they acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning for Braydon Coburn.

At the moment, what can be guaranteed is that the pick will fall between 27 and 30, and with Tampa one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final, there's a better chance that it will be one of the final two picks in the round.

With that, here's the first of some of the late first-round picks. Today, a profile of Prince George forward Jansen Harkins.

Harkins is definitely an under-the-radar prospect. A point-per-game player this season with Prince George in the WHL, Harkins scored 20 goals and added 59 assists in 70 games.

Harkins has a skill set that doesn't particularly stand out. He's efficient, but not flashy. In other words, he can easily be an effective forward, but he's not a top prospect or future franchise player. 

He's a good two-way player, a solid skater and possesses strong hockey knowledge. His game needs a little development, so he's got a couple of years at the WHL and minors ahead of him, but for a late first-round pick, he's got the upside to be a strong role player at the NHL.

He plays in all situations, particularly strong on the penalty kill, and has a scoring touch that just needs to grow as he improves and reaches new levels of competition.

His projection range is broad – anywhere from late first round to early second round – so the Flyers could easily nab him at 29 or 30 and it is worth watching to see if he falls further into the second round.

That said, he's got the potential of a first-round player and could be available later. Ironically, the Flyers could grab him with Tampa's pick, when Tampa has proven to make a killing on late-round picks.

He's no instant fix like some of the prospects available at seven overall, but Harkins is an interesting name that would certainly have a chance to crack the Flyers lineup in a few years.

Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.

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