Filip Hallander has signed a five-year contract with Timra IK of the Swedish Hockey League, for now ending his pursuit of an NHL roster spot in Pittsburgh.

Hallander, a former second-round pick of the Penguins who was reacquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Jared McCann trade, arrived in North America in 2021 and proclaimed he was here to earn a spot with the Penguins.

Hallander, who will turn 23 this summer, was hailed by the organization as a smart, defensive-minded winger who would one day crack the bottom six. But he started each of the last two seasons in the American Hockey League and appeared in just three NHL games, failing to pick up a point in Pittsburgh.

He scored 25 goals with 36 assists in 104 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. He missed a few weeks this past season after a scary fall. He returned to finish out the season as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton missed the playoffs.

Hallander was scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer. Pittsburgh holds his rights in the event he ever chooses to give the NHL another try.

In an interview with Swedish newspaper Sundsvalls Tidning, Hallander indicated that family factored into his decision to leave North American and return to Sweden to play for his former club. He and his wife have a 1-year-old son.