observer_reporter
The Pittsburgh Penguins have completed a trade with the Edmonton Oilers, sending forward Filip Hallander to Edmonton in return for defenseman Spencer Stastney. The swap was revealed on Wednesday and is aimed at bolstering Pittsburgh's defensive corps.
The transaction took place just before the Penguins faced the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night, a game that concluded after this edition's deadline. For complete coverage of that matchup, visit www.observer-reporter.com.
Hallander, 26, had been enjoying a strong start to the season with Pittsburgh, registering a goal and two assists in two games. However, the former second-round draft choice has found it difficult to secure a regular NHL role since joining the organization, having appeared in only 18 games over four seasons. He missed nearly all of the previous campaign due to a blood clot in his right leg and also spent two seasons in Sweden from 2023 to 2025 before re-signing with the Penguins.
Stastney, also 26, is now joining his third team in under a year. He was traded from Nashville to Edmonton last December and then signed a one-year contract with the Oilers in July. In 117 career NHL games split between Edmonton and Nashville, the Woodridge, Illinois native has produced four goals and 15 assists.
Internationally, Stastney has represented the United States at the 2020 World Junior Championship and the 2018 World Under-18 Championship, earning a silver medal in 2018. He was also part of the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2016 to 2018.
Before being selected by Nashville in the fifth round (131st overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Stastney played four seasons of collegiate hockey at the University of Notre Dame from 2018 to 2022, where he served as an alternate captain in his final year.
In a separate move, the Penguins placed forward Andrei Kuzmenko on the non-roster list.
Originally reported by observer_reporter.