CANUCKSARMY’S 2018 NHL DRAFT PROFILES: #39 Filip Hallander
5 years ago
We have entered the top 40 prospects for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Landing in the 39th spot is Timra IK forward Filip Hallander.
Another player that saw his stock slightly fall as the season went on due to other players exceeding expectations, Hallander had a very good season that saw him help his team get promoted to the SHL for the 2018-19 campaign. He is a bit of a raw talent player but there is a lot to like about his game and it easy to see him projecting as a middle six offensive winger in the NHL.
Let’s dive in and take a look at the young Swedish winger.
Bio
- Age/Birthdate: 17.21/ June 29, 2000
- Birthplace: Sundsvall, SWE
- Frame:6-foot-1/ 185 lbs
- Position:Centre / W
- Handedness: Left
- Draft Year Team: Timra IK(Allsvenskan)
- Accomplishments/Awards:
- 2015-2016
- J18 Elit (Overall) Most Points by U16 Player (32)
- U16 SM Silver Medal
- 2016-2017
- J20 SuperElit (Overall) Most Points by U17 Junior (24)
- U17 WHC Gold Medal
- 2017-2018
- Allsvenskan to SHL Promotion (Timrå)
- Hlinka Memorial Bronze Medal
Stats
Career
2017-18 Season
| GP | G | A | P | SEAL | INV% | 5v5 Pr INV% | 5v5 eP160 | Sh/Gp | Sh% | GF% | GF%rel | GD60rel | XLS% | XPR | xVAL |
| 40 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 1.07 | 20.0% | 18.2% | 1.49 | 2.18 | 10% | 61.3% | 1.8% | 0.14 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Hallander played up and down the lineup for Timra and saw some encouraging production as the season went on. Timra was the top team in the Allsvenskan for the entire year and Hallander was a good complimentary player in that group. He saw some time on the top line, 2nd line, and third line.
He stands out in terms of SEAL but middle of the pack in others. His lack of XLS% will be explained below further.
Adjusted Scoring (SEAL)
Team Relative
Hallander produced some fairly consistent results throughout the year and had some fairly regular ice time totals. His ice time did dip to close out the year but that is explained by an injury that resulted in him missing the U18’s for Sweden in April.
He was never a drag on his linemates and complimented their playstyles as he rotated through the lineup. His 5v5 eP60 production was encouraging as he was much younger than the players around him and produced at a much higher rate than fellow draft prospect Jacob Olofsson (also listed as Jakob Olofsson).
Our Take
The lack of pGPS and XL% is due to the fact that there were no matches in terms of his size and statistical output. Obviously, a 0% would be a red flag right away but that explanination justifies it immediately. I’ve talked about the 51% success rate among draft-eligible players in the SHL a few times in these profiles, but there is also an Allsvenskan angle to it. The data suggest that ~33% of draft eligible players that register a 0.09 PPG rate in the second division league goes onto becoming NHL regulars. Hallander destroyed that number with 0.50 PPG rate and that should at least be considered for that angle of analysis.
Hallander is a player I saw regularly due to following Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen closely. Honestly, he impressed me more often than Olofsson did as he showed flashes of skill and offensive awareness that wasn’t present with his centre counterpart. He has good puck control skills, noteworthy awareness and antcipation, and has an underrated shot.
The Timra forward moves the puck well with the ability to hit his open teammates with speed and on the tape. When given the chance though, he has a quick and heavy wrist shot that can beat goalies clean.
His skating is lacking technique, looking really upright in his stance and sloppy in his stride, but he gets around well enough with it. Once he can get some further coaching and improve that technique, his powerful stride will give him so really good top speed and acceleration. That aforementioned sloppiness to his stride was something that was always noticeable but he got where he needed to go.
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The left hander saw most of his time on the wing but can play centre if need be. The Timra IK coaching staff would balance their offence by having Dahlen, Olofsson, and Hallander placed throughout the lineup. Sometimes two of them would be a pair, or all apart, or all on the same line. The handful of games that saw the three of them together was a lot of fun to watch. They all wanted the puck to make plays but read off each other fantastically.
Hallander has good puck protection skills by using his large and lanky body to defend his lane. He keeps the puck away from defenders with his long reach and then dictates where he wants to go.
His offensive side of the game is aided by his great hockey sense and patience with the puck. Some scouts and coaches like his goal scoring abilities and some think of him as more of a playmaker, which speaks to his versatility as an offensive player.
Defensively, he uses all the positive attributes to disrupt his check. He can use his size to direct them to the side while holding his stick out and forcing them to keep moving. When he does get the puck, it’s go time on the attack.
On the international stage, he was used in a two-way role and did extremely well with it. He played particularly well at the 5 Nations Cup.
As with many players in this range, we could see them slide into the late first or be available in the early parts of the second day. Personally, I have Hallander ranked 28th overall in this draft class as his two-way game and the perculating offensive game gives me a sense that he will be a good player in the NHL.
With Timra be promoted to the SHL next season and Hallander already under contract, I’d expect him to get a larger role and elevate his game next season. The fact that the drafting team will retain his rights for longer, due be drafted from Europe, will work his favour as Hallander can work out the flaws to his game before making the leap to North America.
Further Reading
| Consolidated | Average | Future Considerations | Hockey Prospect.com | ISS Hockey | McKeen’s | The Athletic | TSN Bob McKenzie | TSN Craig Button | The Hockey News | Sportsnet | ESPN | Dobber Prospects |
| 37 | 40.9 | 45 | $$ | $$ | $$ | 49 | 23 | 43 | 40 |
From Future Considerations:
A skilled forward, he looks mechanical and rigid on his skates, but he is deceivingly quick and can churn up ice to challenge offensively. On the attack – and with the puck on his stick – Hallander brings an element of energy. In particular, he likes to drive to the net and use his acceleration to take the game to back-pedalling defenders. Solid hockey sense, with or without the puck, he knows where he should be. And to get to the right spot, he’s willing to fight and scrape for positioning. He’s not afraid to shoot the puck when it’s on his stick. His wristshot is accurate and well-rounded. But he also has the ability to set up plays, even if some of his attempts can be shortsighted. His puck protection is solid. Forechecking is another forte as he can chase and check, mixing in hard hits. He’s accustomed to working on the top line, as well as handling responsibility on the power play and the penalty kill. In his own zone, Hallander is a smart player, cutting off intruders and maintaining solid, sound positioning. At times, though, he seems too eager to get on the counter-attack. A natural leader, he can occasionally be seen directing the traffic of his teammates while the game is ongoing. He has been known to show flashes of gritty play. Great upside here. Offensive awareness is only one piece of his well-rounded approach.
