Edmonton Oilers GM Bowman explains why he traded for Hållander
The Edmonton Oilers got a tidy bit of business done on Wednesday morning.
With the team set to embark on a three-game California road trip, GM Stan Bowman swung a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, swapping out defenceman Spencer Stastney for Swedish forward Filip Hållander.
The deal helped alleviate a logjam on the backend, while also giving the Oilers an interesting depth forward who has gotten off to a hot start. The six-foot-two Hållander has already amassed three points in just two games.
Bowman met with the media in Anaheim shortly after the trade, where he detailed the reasons why he pulled the trigger on the trade.
“We came into the year with eight defencemen, and we knew that wasn’t something we were going to go with all year,” Bowman explained. “In the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a lot of forwards go down. Our lineup seems to be in flux quite a bit, so we’re down pretty short up front.
“Filip is a player we were looking at a couple years ago, when he was in Sweden. Before he came over, we weren’t sure if Pittsburgh was going to bring him over or if they were going to maybe trade him… We’ve been interested in his game for a while.”
"We like the fact that he's a worker & he competes. He plays at a high pace, he's gonna fit in well with the way Mike wants our players to play."#Oilers GM Stan Bowman comments on newly acquired forward Filip Hallander's style of game. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Uh02FjwpaZ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 7, 2026
The prior interest makes a lot of sense for the Oilers, who have dabbled in bringing in players from overseas leagues over the past couple of seasons. With Stastney not likely to play a lot of NHL games in Edmonton this season, this was the perfect opportunity for the Oilers to get their guy without giving up too much.
Bowman says the team is very interested in the style of play that Hållander can bring to this current group.
“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. He plays at a high pace; I think he’s going to fit in well with the way Mike [Babcock] wants our players to play.
“He’s got a really nice combination of assets that I think will fit in well with our group.”
There will definitely be a window of opportunity for Hållander to make an impact for this Oilers squad. The forward group has been devastated by injuries to start the new season, with Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Matt Savoie sidelined.
Those extra spots mean guys like Hållander will be able to get more minutes than they usually do. Bowman was asked about how the Oilers have been handling the injuries, as they’ve found ways to win despite being shorthanded.
“We’ve had different players coming in, different lines, out of necessity, not because we’re trying to mix it up,” Bowman said. “We’d like to try and find some stability, but that’s hard when you have different guys getting hurt.
“We have to rely on the way that we play as a unit. When you have different players, I think the system matters […] It’s still a work in progress; we’re not where we wanna be yet, but we’re getting better.”
Hållander was sidelined for most of last season with a blood clot issue in his leg. Bowman said the team looked into that issue and is not concerned about the Swedish forward’s health moving forward.
Bowman confirmed that Hållander will not join the Oilers in time for Wednesday night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. Instead, he will join the team on Thursday and will be available for Saturday’s contest against the San Jose Sharks.