Penguins forward prospect Filip Hallander is still competing for a spot

Filip Hallander didn’t mince words back in September.

During the Penguins’ development camp roughly six months ago, the forward prospect made his intentions clear.

“I’m here to take a spot.”

Those designs never got off the ground, however, thanks in part to an undisclosed injury that hobbled him at the start of training camp later that month and Hallander was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) in early October.

Aside from a brief recall in January, Hallander’s spot has been in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ lineup for most of the season.

He harbors no regrets over his bold hopes.

“At that point, when you come into training camp, you need to have the mindset of competing for a spot,” Hallander said via video conference on Sunday. “Unfortunately, I got injured. It’s tough to be up there, and there’s a lot of good guys. You need to compete every day. So far, I haven’t got a chance. But you can do the best with the time you have (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) and do good.”

By most accounts, the Swedish-born Hallander has done well during his first season in North America. In 47 AHL games, he has 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists). His latest goal opened the scoring for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in a 4-2 home win against the Hartford Wolf Pack on Sunday.

Operating on the left wing of the top line, Hallander darted from the right circle to the slot and took a pass from Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph. Gaining just enough room on Hartford defenseman Zac Jones, Hallander shot against the grain and fired a wrister past the glove of goaltender Adam Huska.

Hallander suggested it’s a shot he’s attempted before.

“It was a good goal,” Hallander said. “I just tried to hold onto the puck and tried to sneak through his stick there. This time, it worked.”

A second-round pick (No. 58 overall) by the Penguins in 2018, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in August of 2020 as part of a multi-player deal that brought forward Kasperi Kapanen — also a former Penguins draft pick — back to Pittsburgh. Only 11 months later, the Penguins, who were looking to shed salary, reacquired Hallander in a deal that sent veteran forward Jared McCann to Toronto.

Having played the past three seasons in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the top league in that country, Hallander is no stranger to the professional ranks. But there has been an adjustment to playing on this continent with regards to the smaller rink dimension than typically used in Europe.

“It’s been getting better and better,” Hallander said. “I had a tougher time than I thought I was going to have from the start, adjusting to playing over here. It’s getting better. Getting more used to playing on the smaller ice and the difference between in playing in Europe and here. I feel I’m taking steps all the time.

“It’s more taking care of the puck. Wall plays, being strong on the puck. It’s more physical than back in Europe.”

For management, Hallander’s growth has accelerated over the past handful of months.

“He’s taken great strides,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach J.D. Forrest said. “We’ve talked about it a bunch, the progress that he’s made and how quickly he’s done it. There’s been a switch that turned for him. He was playing a little bit, I would say, passive when he started (this season). I don’t know if that was due to the injury or playing a few years as a pro in Sweden (where) you kind of play a more calculated style. Now, he’s playing with a high pace. He’s playing physical. He’s finding some pucks around the net. He’s great down low. Defensively, he’s really responsible. He really brings a lot to the table for us.

“He’s only 21 but you would never guess with his maturity. He’s got the maturity of a 30-year-old and the energy of a 21-year-old. So, it’s kind of a nice mix. He’s taken great steps. We like where he’s at. He’s been probably one of our most consistent forwards over the course of the last three months here.”

Another adjustment Hallander has had to make on this continent is the schedule composition. That’s to say there are more games and the schedule is more compacted.

But Hallander embraces that. After all, playing is the best way to earn a spot.

“It’s been a bit of a change for me too compared to Europe were we only play 50, 52 games per season,” Hallander said. “(In the AHL), we play 76 or whatever it is. And we had that (covid-19 disruption) back in December so we have a lot of games coming up here. But I think it’s fun. I’d rather play games than practice. It’s always fun to go out there and play, compete.”

Note: The Pittsburgh Penguins had a scheduled day off Wednesday.

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