The 2026/27 season is still very, very young, but already, the Edmonton Oilers have been hit by an injury bug that has their starting lineup looking nothing like anyone expected coming into the campaign.
The biggest injury issues have come in the Oilers forward group, with the team seeing Jason Dickinson, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman and Matthew Savoie all missing time to start the new season. As a result, the team were expected to make a trade to fill out this group, and while it wasn’t a blockbuster deal, the team have made that trade on Wednesday.
Oilers Acquire Filip Hallander From the Penguins
Early in the year, the Oilers have been linked to the likes of Kirby Dach from the Montreal Canadiens, and while some fans goals were even loftier, the team were always going to keep their trade small.
That became official on Wednesday, with the team announcing that in exchange for Spencer Stastney, they’ve acquired 26-year-old Filip Hallander in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On paper, it’s a move that makes sense for the Oilers, as the team had an abundance on the blue line while needing help up front, and while Hallander doesn’t fill a long-term need in Edmonton, he could be immediate help for the team. In four years in the NHL, Hallander has appeared in 18 games, scoring 2 goals and 7 points in that time, but given his frame at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, there could be a role for him in this team until they get healthy.
Will Hallander Immediately Help the Oilers?
This season, Hallander has a goal and 3 points in two games with the Penguins, but given Pittsburgh’s abundance of forwards, they were always natural trade partners, with the team selling high on Hallander, who hasn’t proved much in his career to date.
However, after a good start, there’s optimism that he could be a role player somewhere in the NHL in the bottom-six, and while that role may not be in Edmonton when Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman and Savoie return, for now, the team needed to acquire help up front as they look to get off to a great start in 2026/27.
Once the team do get healthy, it’s unclear what will happen with Hallander, but after the best start of his NHL career to date, the team believe he can provide an immediate impact, and given that they didn’t give up much in Stastney, it’s a move that can help them now and one that’s seen as a win-win for both Edmonton and Pittsburgh.
Oilers Acquire Four-Year NHL Forward in Trade With Pittsburgh