Former second round draft pick re-joining Pittsburgh’s organization on two-year contract
Filip Hallander turns 25 this June and already has had a lot of twist and turns in his career. The latest chapter will have Hallander will rejoining the Penguins on a two year contract.
#LetsGoPens signed F Filip Hallander to a two-year, $775K AAV contract (1-way) starting in 25-26, per @PuckPedia.
The 24 y/o had 53 pts in 51 GP this season for Timra IK (SHL).https://t.co/iECLan53Wn
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) April 29, 2025
The news has been a long time coming, the SHL team that Hallander played for last season already announced his departure and wished him well several weeks ago. As of this morning, Pittsburgh hasn’t formally announced the deal yet but per Puck Pedia it’s now been registered and will be for two seasons.
Hallander excelled with Timra, finishing second in the Swedish league in 2024-25 with 53 points (26G+27A) in 51 games. Those 53 points in a season are the most in team history, topping the previous record of a player named Henrik Zetterberg.
Hallander, drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round back in 2018, has been around the block. The Pens traded his rights to Toronto in 2020 for Kasperi Kapanen, only to trade back for the Swedish winger for Jared McCann in 2021. Hallander then spent two season in the Pens’ organization, playing only three total NHL games from 2021-23 and spending the rest of his time with AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre. In summer 2023 he decided to head back to Sweden to play for Timra the last two seasons.
What does this mean for 2025-26? At worst it gives Pittsburgh another depth option and a training camp lottery ticket to see if Hallanader has has raised his game to NHL caliber. If so, that’s a win to have another young player in the mix.
If not, Pittsburgh can always send him back to the AHL where history has shown he’s a pretty good player at that level and see how the season goes for him as a possible candidate to be called up when injuries strike. Under Kyle Dubas/Jason Spezza, Pittsburgh and FSG has invested heavily in highly paid minor league players as of late. The details of Hallander’s contract reportedly include the same $775,000 salary regardless of what league he plays in. Based on his age and the years that have past from his first NHL contract, Hallander would have to clear waivers in order to be assigned to the AHL.
At this early stage in the offseason, the Pens will be hoping that AHL assignment isn’t in the cards. Hallander is a pretty decent two-way player and his improved offensive production in Sweden could portend to a more developed player who could be ready to play in the big league. That has to be the hope to bring him back on a two-year contract.