What Do The Penguins Have In Filip Hallander?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have built out a ton of forward depth for this upcoming season and perhaps have as deep a group as anyone in the NHL. PHR wrote about this last week, breaking down the 16-18 NHL-ready forwards the Penguins could potentially use this season. One of those forwards is Filip Hallander, a 26-year-old Penguins second-round pick in 2018, who looked ready to break out last season only to be stopped by a blood clot that kept him out for most of the season. So what exactly does Pittsburgh have in Hallander, and how will they utilize him this year?

To say that Hallander’s career has been strange would be an understatement. He was drafted 58th overall in 2018 and appeared to be part of the Penguins’ future. That changed in 2020, when he was traded as part of the ill-fated Kasperi Kapanen deal, in which the Penguins reacquired Kapanen after trading him for Phil Kessel. The Penguins then reacquired Hallander and a seventh-round pick in a trade that sent Jared McCann away to avoid losing him in the NHL Expansion Draft of 2021. Finally, in 2023, he went to Sweden for two seasons, the latter of which saw him average over a point per game in the SHL.

That performance in Sweden brought Hallander back to Pittsburgh last season as part of a two-year, $1.55MM deal that looked as though it would pay off before the blood clot sidelined him. In 13 games with Pittsburgh, Hallander posted a goal and three assists while averaging 13:09 per game. He didn’t blow anyone away with his offensive prowess, but he did prove to people that he could hang at the NHL level. Or did he?

13 NHL games is a very small sample size to conclude that Hallander is an NHLer. Even with multiple SHL seasons and an AHL track record, success in other leagues doesn’t always translate to the highest level of hockey. At the very least, Hallander will receive a serious look in the Penguins’ bottom six, but so will Rutger McGroarty, Hendrix Lapierre, and Avery Hayes. Pittsburgh already has locks such as Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, Benjamin Kindel, and Elmer Soderblom.

It’s going to be tough sledding for Hallander, who has overcome a lot to reach the NHL and now has to overcome a blood clot to return. In a perfect world, the Penguins would probably love to stash Hallander in the AHL and utilize him as a 13th or 14th forward, while giving him big AHL minutes. But because of his age and professional experience, Hallander needs waivers to be assigned to the AHL, and given the uncertainty around him, there would be a team willing to take a flyer on him and claim him off waivers. Pittsburgh knows this, and it could actually work in Hallander’s favour when it comes to competing for a roster spot.

Hallander’s two-way play, offensive skill, and skating make him a great fit for a fourth-line role on paper, but he really needs more time to prove he is an NHL player. The Penguins may see things the same way, which could open the door for him to get an extended audition in Pittsburgh while players like Hayes and McGroarty are sent back to the AHL.

With one year left on his contract, the Penguins could simply bide their time and give Hallander every opportunity to succeed or fail. If he succeeds, they would have a trade chip or an inexpensive depth option in a player with prime years left. If he fails, Pittsburgh could let him walk at the end of the season, knowing that his SHL success didn’t translate to the NHL.

And Hallander’s SHL success is noteworthy. During the 2024-25 season, Hallander posted 26 goals and 27 assists in 51 games, leading his team, Timra IK, in scoring ahead of former NHLers Jonathan Dahlen and Magnus Pääjärvi, as well as current Montreal Canadiens forward Oliver Kapanen. Again, it’s no guarantee of NHL success, but it’s not nothing. With modest SHL and AHL success, along with a successful NHL audition last season, Hallander is one of the most intriguing players in the Penguins forward group and could be a bit of a wild card if he can find his NHL legs.

The Penguins will almost certainly need help on the left side of their defense this year, and if Hallander can bump someone out of a job, such as Justin Brazeau or any of the other forwards mentioned, it could create an additional trade chip for Pittsburgh to work with as they pursue a defenseman amongst other roster upgrades. Time will tell whether things shake out that way or if Hallander falls out of favor in Pittsburgh, but as far as storylines go, it’ll be something to keep an eye on when the Penguins break camp this fall.