A recently-signed Pittsburgh Penguins forward - and former top prospect - has been recognized after a stellar 2024-25 campaign.
On Thursday, Filip Hallander - who inked a two-year deal with the Penguins on Apr. 29 - was named the Swedish Hockey League's forward of the year.
In 51 games for Timra IK this season, Hallander recorded 26 goals and 53 points and finished second in the SHL in scoring.
Hallander, 24, was selected by the Penguins in the second round (58th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. As a prospect, he was actually dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade that brought forward Kasperi Kapanen back to Pittsburgh, and he returned to Pittsburgh when Jared McCann was shipped to Toronto prior to the 2021 expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken.
After that, he spent a few years in the Penguins' organization - mostly with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - and put up decent numbers. In parts of two seasons with WBS, he registered 25 goals and 61 points in 104 games, and he saw three NHL games in those two years.
After signing a five-year deal with Timra IK in 2023, he was non-tendered as a restricted free agent by the Penguins and spent the last two years in the SHL building back up his game. His offense really took off during the 2024-25 season, but his two-way play has always been a trademark for him.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound center has the toolset to become an effective power forward at the NHL level, and he somewhat modeled his game after former Penguin and two-time Stanley Cup champion Patric Hornqvist. His combination of offensive talent, defensive details, and physicality should bode well for the Penguins looking ahead.
Given the Penguins' current trajectory, they are prioritizing young talent, and Hallander could very well figure into the middle-six next year for Pittsburgh.
His two-year contract carries an average annual value of $775,000 and will run through the end of the 2026-27 season.
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