The Pittsburgh Penguins could have a new face in the lineup this evening, as Filip Hallander has been recalled under emergency conditions. The young forward would be making his NHL debut should he join the lineup against the New York Rangers this evening.
Hallander’s career so far has been an interesting one. Originally drafted by the Penguins in 2018, he was part of the trade that brought Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh in 2020. Less than a year later he was on his way back to the Penguins in the pre-expansion Jared McCann trade before he had ever even played in North America.
This season, his first with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, the 21-year-old forward has ten goals and 24 points in 53 games. While those numbers don’t pop off the page, Hallander has been praised for his two-way play dating back to his draft year. His ceiling was always likely that of a third-line forward in the NHL, if he reaches that level on a full-time basis at all.
It’s Hallander’s play in the NHL, whenever his debut does happen, that will ask some interesting questions about the future. Teddy Blueger, who represents the team’s checking-line center, is signed through next season but is a pending UFA in the summer of 2023. Versatile Evan Rodrigues and trade deadline pickup Rickard Rakell are both pending UFAs this summer. Then there is the core trio of Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust, who are all set to hit the open market–or land new, expensive contracts with the Penguins–this year. All of this uncertainty means that players on entry-level deals will become extremely important. Hallander is still signed through next season on that very inexpensive ELC, making him an intriguing piece to watch down the stretch if he finds his way into the lineup.