With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason after a brief return to the postseason, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 53 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.
Starting with veteran Noel Acciari and going on through to prospect Bill Zonnon, every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.
This series is scheduled to be published every day until June 24, two days before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.
(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)
Filip Hallander
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Age: 25
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 203 pounds
2025-26 NHL regular season statistics: 13 games, four points (one goal, three assists), 13:09 of average ice time per contest
2025-26 AHL regular season statistics: Three games, one point (one goal, zero assists)
Contract: In the first year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2027
Acquired: Trade, July 17, 2021
This season: One of the more intriguing names on the Penguins’ roster entering the season was Filip Hallander.
A second-round draft pick (No. 58 overall) in 2018, Hallander was essentially entering his third stint with the organization. After being flipped between the Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs in a pair of trades in 2020 and 2021, Hallander left the Penguins as a restricted free agent in 2023 when he signed with Timra IK of the Swedish Hockey League in his native country.
Following an explosive 2024-25 campaign in which he finished second in the SHL’s scoring race with 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) in 51 games, Hallander opted to return to the Penguins’ nest in hopes of realizing his NHL dream.
Scoring a team-leading five points (one goal, four assists) in five preseason games, Hallander opened the regular season on the roster and inhabited either the left or right wing on the third or fourth line in eight of the team’s first nine games.
Over that span, he scored his only NHL goal of the season, netting the winning score in a 4-2 road win against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 16.
Filip Hallander – Pittsburgh Penguins (1)
Shorthanded Goal pic.twitter.com/m7aOpaVDzT— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 17, 2025
On Oct. 27, Hallander, who qualified as a rookie, was given a lofty promotion as he worked the left wing of the top line when veteran Rickard Rakell was sidelined by a hand injury. In five games skating next to Sidney Crosby, Hallander had two assists.
Then things changed in no good way Nov. 5 when Hallander left practice early for reasons that weren’t initially disclosed by the team. Two days later, the Penguins announced Hallander would be sidelined at least three months due to a blood clot in an unspecified leg.
Designated to injured reserve, Hallander was relegated to largely skating prior to the team’s formal practice sessions over the next three months to maintain some level of conditioning.
By Feb. 17, he resumed practicing in a full-contact fashion and seemed to turn a corner towards a full recovery when he was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League for a conditioning assignment the next day.
In three games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Hallander was primarily deployed on the left wing of the top line and scored a goal in a 4-3 home win against the Bridgeport Islanders on Feb. 21.
WELCOME BACK HALLY pic.twitter.com/k3Ai8g2ofK
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 21, 2026
Abruptly recalled from his conditioning assignment Feb. 27, Hallander did not play a game for the remainder of the season.
Details as to his status were limited as the team largely declined to offer much information on Hallander until May 1, when it was revealed he returned to Sweden to train.
The future: At this juncture, the only thing really known about Hallander’s status is that he will be evaluated over the summer by the team’s medical staff to determine his well-being going into 2026-27.
In the nearly eight years since he was drafted, Hallander has played in only 16 NHL games. But there is still plenty to be intrigued by. As a fairly high draft pick who has been dominant in other levels of pro hockey (the SHL), he displayed competency in his limited ice time last season.
Ideally, Hallander, who turns 26 on June 29, is probably a skilled bottom-six winger who can step in at all three forward positions, play sound defense and chip in occasionally on offense. Additionally, he offered something on the penalty kill, as evidenced by the 1:00 of short-handed ice time he averaged last season.
If Hallander is healthy — a considerable if given how last season progressed — he can still be an asset for the Penguins.