The 2024-25 campaign did not go the Pittsburgh Penguins way, and they have already endured a hectic start to the offseason. After they missed the playoffs entirely, the team fired head coach Mike Sullivan on Monday. Amid all the chaos surrounding the team, the front office made the decision to reunite with Filip Hallander in free agency after he previously decided to return and play hockey in his native Sweden.
Hallander was selected by the Penguins in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft, but he never panned out for them. After spending time playing for Timra IK and Lulea HF in Sweden, Hallander was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020. Less than a year later, he was traded back to the Penguins, before he decided in 2023 to return to Sweden, signing a five-year contract with Timra IK.
Filip Hallander Makes NHL Return With Penguins
While Hallander has been around for a while now, he’s barely played in the NHL. Hallander played just one game in the 2021-22 season, and two in the ensuing 2022-23 campaign. Aside from that, he has not played in the NHL. Hallander’s impact in those three contests is understandably not noteworthy, as he failed to record a single point during his limited time in the league.
Despite that, Hallander excelled last season with Timra IK in Sweden. He scored 26 goals and dished out 27 assists, finishing the year with 53 points, which was the most in the team’s history. Pittsburgh has kept a close eye on Hallander, even as he plays overseas, and that led them to reunite with him on Tuesday, as it was announced that the team had signed him to a two-year, $775,000 contract.
“Penguins 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),” NHL News shared in a post on X.
Penguins Hoping to Tap Into Filip Hallander’s Potential
GettyThe Penguins are bringing Filip Hallander back to town on a two-year contract
Hallander clearly has yet to find his footing in the NHL, but he still has time to do so. The Swedish center will only turn 25 years old in June, and he’s fresh off the most impressive stretch of play in his career. The potential is clearly there, which is why the Penguins initially used a second-round pick on him back in 2018, and if he gets some time on the ice, he could finally make an impact in the league.
Pittsburgh obviously won’t be banking on Hallander to pan out for them, but at the cheap price of $775,000, it’s worth taking another flier on him to see if he can figure things out in the NHL considering what he managed to do in Sweden last season. If things go according to plan for the Penguins, this would become one of the best value deals in the league.
While stacking the roster with contributors is key, Pittsburgh now has to turn their attention to their head coaching search after they sent Sullivan packing in the wake of their wildly disappointing season.
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Penguins Sign 26-Goal Scorer to 2-Year Deal