Blackhawks Select Anton Frondell in NHL Draft

With the third pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks selected Anton Frondell. The 18-year-old forward played last season with Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League. 

Frondell comes to the Blackhawks with the ceiling of a player who could ride shotgun behind Connor Bedard. Scouts are not 100% sure if he is a center or winger at the NHL level, but Chicago will give him every chance to be the number two center once he comes to North America. 

The piece of Frondell’s game that is so valued is his work away from the puck. He’s constantly searching for open passing lanes, engaging with defensemen to gain body position, and hounding loose pucks down. His skating isn’t the best in the class, but he’s got enough speed and solid mechanics to suggest that he can continue improving before he jumps to the NHL. 

Where Frondell made his biggest impression was in international play. As a member of Sweden’s U18 team, he was a leading scorer. He recorded eight goals and 10 assists in 19 appearances, including three points in five games at the 2025 World Junior Championships. His play on the international circuit has many projecting him to be a 30-goal scorer in the NHL. 

Finding a current NHL comparison for Anton Frondell is difficult. He’s got decent size, standing at 6’1” and nearly 200 pounds. His defensive skillset and work away from the puck have elicited comparisons to Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. That seems like a bit of a stretch, but he does remind me of fellow Swedish center Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks. If he ends up somewhere between the two, the Blackhawks will have an excellent option to fill out their top-six in the near future.

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