Penguins Recall Filip Hallander From AHL Conditioning Loan, He Remains on IR

The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Filip Hallander on March 1, 2026, and immediately kept him on Injured Reserve as he undergoes evaluation and rehab testing for a lower-body injury sustained during a conditioning loan with Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton. Pittsburgh general manager Ron Hextall was listed as announcing the recall, and Hallander’s short AHL stint produced one goal in three games before the recall.

Hallander began the conditioning assignment with Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton on Feb. 18, 2026 after participating in an on‑ice NHL practice with Pittsburgh on Feb. 17. Because he was on standard injured reserve rather than long‑term injured reserve, the loan was permitted to last up to two weeks; he appeared in three AHL games, including a single home appearance in Wilkes‑Barre against the Bridgeport Islanders, before the club moved him back to Pittsburgh for testing.

The recall follows a medical layoff that began after Hallander was diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg on Nov. 7, 2025; his last NHL appearance before that diagnosis was Nov. 3, 2025 versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Team materials and local reporting state he was fully cleared to return to game action prior to the Feb. 18 assignment, but sustained a separate lower‑body issue during the conditioning stint that prompted the March 1 evaluation and continuation of injured reserve status.

Hallander’s professional resume and recent numbers underline the stakes of his recovery. The 2018 second‑round pick, 58th overall, posted 26 goals and 53 points in 51 SHL games in 2024‑25 and earned SHL Forward of the Year honors that season. In North America this year he has one goal and four points in 13 NHL games, and the brief AHL sample added one goal in three games. Preceding this season he logged 105 AHL games with 25 goals and 61 points in his AHL career.

Back in Wilkes‑Barre, Hallander reflected on the short return to familiar surroundings, saying, "Being back here brings back some memories from a couple of years ago" and "Seeing some people around that you haven’t seen in a long time is pretty fun." He also described the recovery period as dual‑edged: "It’s been challenging, but it’s probably been my best three months, too" and "It’s kind of weird. It’s time you have to reflect and you get perspective on things when it was so close that I wouldn’t be able to play again."

The recall also arrives amid broader roster sensitivity for Pittsburgh; the club’s injury list includes high‑profile absences that have raised the value of depth pieces returning to health. Hallander was signed to a two‑year, league‑minimum contract upon his return from Sweden, and the team will weigh the results of his evaluations before determining whether he can join the active roster. Team officials have not provided a timetable for clearance, and the Penguins will use the rehab testing now under way to set Hallander’s next steps.