Oilers Send Spencer Stastney to Penguins for Filip Hallander
Edmonton traded defenseman Spencer Stastney to Pittsburgh on Wednesday in exchange for forward Filip Hallander. The Oilers had been seeking a forward-for-defenseman swap while dealing with injuries up front. Stastney had not played this season, while Hallander had a goal and two assists in two games for Pittsburgh.
Edmonton had been exploring a defense-for-forward exchange, as Elliotte Friedman noted, while Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and other forwards were unavailable. Stastney, 26, arrived from Nashville last season for a 2027 third-round choice but recorded one goal and a minus-10 rating in 36 Oilers appearances.
Pittsburgh sought a left-shot blueliner because four of its six defensemen shoot right. Hallander, a Swedish forward, began this season with a goal, two assists and a plus-4 rating in two games after leg blood clots and a lung complication disrupted most of 2025-26.
This swap may matter most to Oilers and Penguins followers, as it alters roster depth during injury absences and gives Hallander a fresh opportunity after health setbacks. Edmonton could gain cap flexibility, while Pittsburgh may stabilize its blue line. For players, such moves illustrate how quickly careers and workplaces change; for fans, it adds a small storyline before Wednesday’s game.