Before acquiring Filip Hallander in a deal that sent Spencer Stastney to Pittsburgh, the Edmonton Oilers made sure to look into one specific potential issue: the blood clot that sidelined the forward for a significant chunk of last season.
Back in November 2025, the Penguins announced that Hallander had been diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg, an issue serious enough to keep him out a minimum of three months. He wound up playing only 13 games in the NHL last season. At the time, the 24-year-old remained in Pittsburgh to rehab with the team's medical staff and UPMC rather than travel with the team to Sweden.
Penguins head coach Dan Muse knew it wasn't good. "It's terrible. At the same time, though, when something like this comes up, this goes way beyond hockey. This is about the person," Muse said, adding that the team was "thankful and grateful" medical staff caught the issue quickly enough to begin treatment.
Fast forward to Wednesday's trade, and Hallander is now an Oiler. Edmonton GM Stan Bowman confirmed the club did its homework on the health scare before finalizing the trade, and that early signs point to no long-term effects.
Hallander is expected to join the team in San Jose and practice with his new teammates Friday.
Bowman made clear the interest in Hallander predates the injury entirely and seems to think this trade is worth any potential health risk. "We've been interested in his game since his time in Sweden," Bowman said. "He brings offensive instincts, playmaking ability, work ethic, competitiveness, and pace, and we believe he'll fit perfectly with the way Mike wants our players to play."
Beyond their longstanding interest in the player, Bowman pointed to the way things have gone this season with their roster. "We came into the year with eight defensemen, and we knew that wasn't something we were going to go with all year," he explained. Then, as the season approached, a string of forward injuries created another need for additional depth. Trading a blueliner for a forward became the logical move, even if the injuries the Oilers do have aren't considered long-term.
As for where Hallander fits and if he'll be a regular in the lineup, that much is unclear. The Oilers may take their time with him, even though he's gotten off to a solid start with the Penguins this season. This is still an unproven player, and the Oilers have squeezed out points in their first three games.
"He played a really offensive style when he was in Sweden," Bowman said. "I think it's good to see that he's got that ability to make plays. But in addition, we like the fact that he's a worker and he competes." That suggests he'll be a bottom-six guy, playing alongside the likes of Josh Samanski, Mathieu Joseph, Owen Michaels, Colton Dach, and Trent Frederic.
With the medical concerns apparently behind him, the hope in Edmonton is that Hallander can finally deliver on the potential that first caught the organization's attention years ago.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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