Blackhawks Have Obvious Choice at 2025 NHL Draft

The Chicago Blackhawks are in an advantageous position with the 2025 NHL Draft approaching. They hold the third overall pick and must wait for the New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks to make their choices first. Despite the likelihood increasing that they will miss out on top prospect Matthew Schaefer, the Hawks face an obvious choice.

The Blackhawks won't be able to nab the top defender available or most likely forward Michael Misa, but they can still come away the winners of the 2025 NHL Draft. To do so, they must select Swedish prospect Anton Frondell with their first pick in the upcoming draft.

Unsurprisingly, many have linked the young center to the Hawks. He's the fourth skater in my post-lottery prospects rankings. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, Adam Kimelman, and Mike Morreale of NHL.com all recently predicted that Frondell would land in Chicago in their mock drafts.

They did so because it makes too much sense. Frondell is the perfect fit for the Blackhawks, and this is the ideal time to add the young, two-way center.

The Hawks aren't quite ready to take the next step toward the Stanley Cup, but there's a strong belief that it will happen in the coming seasons. One of the key pieces that's missing is the number two center position. Connor Bedard is entering his third season in the NHL and coming off a 67-point campaign. While he hasn't reached the level of Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby in terms of organizational impact, he's no doubt developed into a superstar in the NHL.

What Bedard needs now is a running mate. The offensive depth is still an issue in Chicago, regardless of the steps their best player takes in 2025 and 2026. That's where Frondell comes in. He won't be the second center on a Stanley Cup-winning team this year, but everything about this player screams winner.

This past season in the second professional league in Sweden, Frondell was arguably the most impressive player start to finish. He posted 25 points in 29 contests and is poised to join Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League for the 2025-2026 campaign.

If his development continues at this pace, he will be a player made in the mold of Florida Panthers' captain Aleksander Barkov. Frondell excels at creating space for himself in the offensive zone and eliminating his opponent's in the defensive zone. The comparison and expectation are sky high, but that's the potential Frondell brings to whichever organization selects him.

The Blackhawks have to be that organization. The choice is painfully obvious. Chicago has to select Anton Frondell to continue their rebuilding process.