The Chicago Blackhawks have a budding star in Anton Frondell, who has exceeded all expectations so far.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected Anton Frondell with the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. From that moment on, he became one of the most important assets in the organization.
After a strong year in the SHL and at the World Junior Championships, he raised his stock even more. The Blackhawks brought him to North America right when his season ended with Djurgardens, his SHL club.
Nobody is expecting a teenager to dominate right when they join the NHL, but Frondell has been as close to dominant as possible. Through his first five NHL games, he has one goal and four primary assists.
It’s one thing to have the points, but his high number of scoring chances he creates for himself and his teammates is what makes his offensive game so impressive. As he and the team around him develop, more of these chances will find the back of the net, earning him even more points.
Frondell has mostly been used as an offensive play-driver, but his defensive metrics support him being a strong two-way player as well. The Blackhawks are focused on seeing what they have in him as a center just as much as a winger, which would entail being a great defensive forward for 200 feet.
"He's done an excellent job," Jeff Blashill said of Frondell after their overtime loss to the Jets. "To be out against one of the best lines in the league, there were some mistakes, but overall, the line did an excellent job."
Blashill admitted that he's been thrown to the wolves early in his NHL career, and playing against stars like Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele is certainly a challenge for anyone.
"I really like playing with him," Tyler Bertuzzi said of his new linemate. "He's big, and he forechecks hard. I think that's why we had success tonight. He's all over the puck and forechecking hard; he battles, which I like."
Bertuzzi has 31 goals this season, and he's played with almost every top-six caliber center and winger on the team at one point. His versatility has been admirable, and it's helped Frondell adjust to playing center quickly.
"He looks right at home," Bertuzzi continued on Frondell. "He's just going to keep getting better as he grows and continues to play big minutes in big spots. The future is looking bright."
For being an 18-year-old with under 10 NHL games played, his impact has been felt much quicker than anticipated. Nobody would have thought twice if it took him a while to get going in terms of score sheet production, but it's been almost a seamless transition.
Frondell, in addition to being a wonderful hockey player off to a great start on the ice, is a nice kid who has a winning attitude. He was gleaming with excitement as he talked about his first home game in the NHL.
"[It was] incredible," Frondell said of his United Center debut. "Back on the road trip, when we played in Madison Square Garden and different arenas, I thought, 'Oh, this is pretty good.' But they said, 'Wait until you get back at home.' I know what they mean by that now. It's a pretty good crowd here."
It helps when you play as well as Frondell did all game. Eventually, his usage on the defensive side of the puck will match the offensive side, and he's compared his playstyle to Sasha Barkov in the past for a reason, but that will come with more experience.
"The game is a whole new level from what I'm used to in Sweden," Frondell said of the actual hockey game. "Everything goes so fast, everyone is a lot better. I still have a lot to learn."
If this is him at his most raw in the NHL, Tyler Bertuzzi will end up being correct about the bright future. He has looked good at two different positions, fits in with the other young players on the team, and has a desire to get even better.
The one thing that Frondell has yet to truly unleash is his massive one-timer. He put that shot on display at the World Juniors and with Djurgardens, and it looks like it could develop into one of the best one-time shots in the league.
Once he starts pounding those on net, along with everything else he's done well, the Blackhawks will have another consequential offensive player firing on all cylinders.
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