Penguins trade up to pick Swedish forward Filip Hallander

The Penguins traded up into the back end of the second round to select Swedish forward Filip Hallander at the NHL draft Saturday afternoon.

The Penguins traded a third-round pick, 64th overall, and one of their two fifth-round picks, 146th overall, to Colorado to move up six spots to choose Hallander at No. 58.

Hallander is a 6-foot-2, 188-pound left-handed shooter who can play center and left wing.

He played in one of Sweden's top pro leagues as a 17-year-old last season, recording nine goals and 20 points in 40 games. It was the sixth-highest point total for an under-18 player in the history of the league.

He's known as a quick skater who is willing to go to high-traffic areas and capable of making give-and-go plays down low. He uses his smarts at the defensive end of the ice.

The knock against him is his ceiling. He projects as a third-liner who can do everything well but nothing exceptionally well.

NHL Central Scouting rated him the 13th-best European skater in the draft.

Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jbombulie@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BombulieTrib.