Penguins Young Forward Confident in NHL Roster Push: 'More Prepared Than Ever'
Photo credit: DK Pittsburgh Sports
Penguins young forward Filip Hallander believes this is the year he can finally crack the team's lineup and be a regular, as he is feeling more prepared than ever.
Filip Hallander's Penguins tenure has been one big revolving door. He was drafted in the second round in 2018 and traded to Toronto in the Kasperi Kapanen trade, bought back out in 2021, and ultimately went back to Sweden after seeing minimal NHL time.
Now, he's back in Pittsburgh for the third time, hoping this time it sticks, as he feels more prepared than ever.
"Played big minutes, a lot of leadership on me, a lot of pressure. But it was a good time to grow both on and off the ice as a person," the 25-year-old said Wednesday.
"It's been very fun, very hard. I think everybody feels the same," he said. "A lot of guys feel they have a good chance to take a spot, and you want it to be that way. And I feel like these games coming up now is a good chance to show what you've got."
"It's been very fun, very hard. I think everybody feels the same," he said. "A lot of guys feel they have a good chance to take a spot, and you want it to be that way. And I feel like these games coming up now is a good chance to show what you've got."
Hallander's final exit was his choice, referencing family circumstances. Though he conceded wanting more exposure in Pittsburgh, things drew him back home.
Filip Hallander Finished 2nd in the SHL in Goals and Points
With Timra IK in Sweden, ex-NHLer Olli Jokinen's club, he excelled last season, finishing second in the SHL in goals and points.
That remedied things with the Penguins, as former Toronto GM Kyle Dubas, who once traded for him, started negotiating about coming back.
Hallander agreed to a two-year contract in April, stating his family is "very excited" to relocate back to America.
At age 25, Hallander feels much better prepared than in past attempts. He logged 16:10 of ice time on Wednesday in the Penguins' preseason loss to Columbus by a score of 4-1 and is in contention for one of Pittsburgh's final forward spots.
All that's ahead of him in Pittsburgh will be radically different from his role back in Sweden. Here, he'll presumably compete for time in a bottom-six role and earn himself into the rotation.
This weeklong training camp has been "very competitive," declared Hallander. Whether he will succeed in scraping out a regular NHL role is yet to be seen, yet this time through, he's looking to stay.
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