Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Filip Hållander has signed a five-year contract with the SHL’s Timrå IK, the Swedish club announced Friday morning.
This is a striking and likely unexpected move for the Penguins organization. While it’s common to see players older in age opt to return to Europe after not developing into higher-end NHLers, Hållander is still just 22 years old and was a candidate to make the Penguins out of training camp next season.
Pittsburgh can still retain Hållander’s NHL rights by issuing him a qualifying offer this summer, as he’s a pending restricted free agent. At the conclusion of his new SHL contract in 2028, he would then have to sign with Pittsburgh if he wanted to return to the NHL.
Nevertheless, it’s a tough blow for an organization already low on talented prospects. Hållander was one of the organization’s best, especially at center, and took huge steps forward this season with 33 points in 44 games for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Drafted 58th overall in 2018, Hållander was traded away and re-acquired in two separate transactions with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It does mark a homecoming for the Swedish forward, who was developed in Timrå’s system all the way from U16 play to his professional debut. During his draft year (2017-18), he played an important role in earning Timrå promotion from the second-tier Allsvenskan, notching 20 points in 40 games.
When Timrå failed to avoid relegation back to the Allsvenskan the next season, however, Pittsburgh loaned him to a different SHL club, Luleå HF, for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons before Hållander arrived in North America.
Wow that sucks. He had a chance to be in the bottom 6 within a year or two. Also one of the only decent prospects in the system.
I remember when I said how terrible the moves Hextall was making were and was asked if I a was an NHL GM.
The only way to know if a move is good or bad is to be employed by an NHL team, I guess.
Understanding both the game of hockey and the obvious is not enough, I guess.
We lost McCann and Tanev with nothing to show for it except for later giving Blueger away for nothing and being stuck with Carter. Oh and overpaying McGinn only to give him away for nothing, too.
Imagine not knowing that all of that is terribly stupid and having to hide behind smug and clueless appeals to authority…
He probably figured as long as Sullivan was the coach, he would never get a chance to be promoted to the Pens. Look how long DOC had to wait and was only able because of injuries.
He’s the type of play that a team in cap he’ll needs to roster. Could he really provide worse outcomes than Granlund and Carter ? League min and save millions
The message is clear – for the next 5 years if you want to play for Pittsburgh you need to be content with a 3rd or 4th line role. If you aspire to more than that, go somewhere else.