Oilers and Penguins Pull Off a One for One Trade

It's early October and we're already seeing NHL front offices tinkering with their rosters. The Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins clearly had some conversations over the past few days, and on Wednesday those talks resulted in a straightforward swap that could benefit both organizations moving forward.

The Deal

The Oilers shipped defenseman Spencer Stastney to Pittsburgh in exchange for forward Filip Hallander. It's a clean, one-for-one deal between two teams that have clearly identified different roster needs heading into the 2026-27 season.

Hallander, a 26-year-old Swedish forward, had actually gotten off to a decent start with the Penguins this year, posting a goal and two assists in just two games before being moved. Originally a second-round pick by Pittsburgh back in 2018, Hallander has found it tough to carve out a permanent spot at the NHL level, collecting just two goals and five assists across 18 career games. He's currently in the final year of a two-year deal carrying an $850,000 average annual value, so the Oilers are getting him at a very manageable cap hit.

On the other side, Stastney hadn't seen any game action with Edmonton yet this season. The 26-year-old blueliner managed one goal in 36 games during the 2025-26 campaign, his first year with the Oilers after spending time with the Nashville Predators, who originally drafted him in the fifth round of that same 2018 draft. Over 177 career NHL games split between Nashville and Edmonton, Stastney has put up four goals and 15 assists. He's on a one-year deal worth $1.525 million, giving Pittsburgh a bit more cap commitment than what they sent out.

What This Means for Both Teams

For Edmonton, this is a pretty clear signal that they wanted to add some forward depth and were comfortable parting with a defenseman who wasn't currently in the lineup. Hallander gives them another option up front, and his lower cap number doesn't hurt either. Whether he can stick and produce at the NHL level remains to be seen, but the Oilers are betting that a fresh start could unlock something in the former second-round pick.

For Pittsburgh, they're picking up a defenseman with considerably more NHL experience than Hallander had. Stastney's 177 games played is a notable track record, even if his offensive numbers aren't eye-popping. The Penguins clearly felt they could use more depth on the back end and were willing to move on from a forward who, despite flashing some early-season promise, hadn't been able to fully establish himself in their plans over the years.

It's the kind of low-risk, change-of-scenery swap that happens every year in the NHL. Both players are the same age, both were drafted in 2018, and both are looking to prove they belong as full-time NHLers. Sometimes all it takes is a new environment and a fresh coaching staff to get a player's career moving in the right direction. We'll see soon enough whether this trade ends up being a win for either side or just a footnote in the early-season transaction log.