Blackhawks Sign Anton Frondell to Entry-Level Contract

There was a report out of Sweden (Expressen) on July 12 that Frondell would be signing his entry-level contract. Now, it’s official.

Frondell Adds Another Element to Blackhawks

It’s no secret the Blackhawks are eager to add Frondell to the mix. As general manager Kyle Davidson said on draft night on June 27, “We were ecstatic to get Anton. He’s a power forward that can play down the middle or on the wing. I think he’s a great complement to our group that we have now. I think he’s got the chance to be a really, really exciting goal scorer in this league. Just couldn’t be more thrilled with adding him to the organization.”

Frondell made a name for himself this season with Djurgårdens IF in Sweden last year. Despite knee surgery and spending some time with the Djurgårdens IF J20 (junior team). He had 25 points in 29 games with Djurgårdens. There was even smoke about him potentially going second overall in the draft, which shows how highly touted he was.

There is some uncertainty about what next season will look like for him. At development camp on June 30, Frondell said no future plans had been discussed yet, but elaborated, “My dream is to play in the NHL. I want to do it as soon as possible. So, if I get a chance to be at the camp later, and fight for a spot on the team, that’s my dream. That’s what I would do. If I don’t make it, I’m going back and playing with Djurgårdens.”

Davidson said on draft night that the plan at that moment was for Frondell to play with Djurgårdens next season, but that they still had time to figure out if that’s the best path forward. So, we’ll see what comes of that.

But the best takeaway is not to be surprised if he ends up starting in Sweden. [Note: according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, Frondell’s agent JP Barry has since confirmed he will play next season in Djurgårdens].

No matter when the 18-year-old makes his Blackhawks debut, the addition of Frondell hopes to add another element to the rebuild, as he brings the scoring touch, character, and size [6-foot-1, 198 pounds] that they have been looking for. There is also the versatility aspect, as he infamously said he would play center or wing depending on what Connor Bedard didn’t play.

And he couldn’t be more excited for his Blackhawks future. When Frondell was asked about what it means to be a part of the Hawks’ young group of high draft picks, including Bedard and Artyom Levshunov, who are all looking to bring this team back to contention, he replied, “I think it’s a good time for me to be here. It’s not any bad names that you say there. It’s cool to have a chance to play with him [Bedard] soon. Maybe be on the same line. I don’t know. I’m just excited to be training and working with them together.”

It’s a good time and the right time for Frondell and the Blackhawks. Like Frondell and the rest of their prospect pool, Chicago is looking forward to what’s next.