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Corey Pronman details what to expect from the Chicago Blackhawks’ new prospects and how they fit into the farm system. This page will be updated throughout the 2025 NHL Draft.
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3. Anton Frondell, C, Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)
May 7, 2007 | 6' 1" | 205 pounds
Tier: Top of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Player comparable: Josh Norris
Analysis: Frondell’s season started off slow, in part due to injury, but he was very good versus men in the Allsvenskan in the second half of the season. Frondell has a ton of skill and a real smooth element when he’s around the puck. He makes difficult plays with consistency and can do so on the move. Frondell skates well and competes hard, often outmuscling others bigger than him. Despite his average size, he has a translatable style of play to the NHL that appeals to scouts. Frondell is a good playmaker but he’s also a very dangerous shooter with a bullet shot that projects to beat NHL goalies from range. He’s not a dynamic offensive player, though, and had a few too many quiet games at the international level this season. He has the potential to be a very good all-around top-six center even if he’s often played wing this season.
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Pick grade: B-
Thoughts on the pick: I struggled with the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Frondell’s season. If you saw his best games or stretches, he absolutely belonged in this conversation at 3. But I saw too many games where he wasn’t highly effective and wondered about his offensive potential. The No. 3 pick is a tad too high for me with Frondell, but I still like the player a lot, and could see him as a quality second-line center in the NHL who provides a hard element. He has the best shot in the draft, and I could see Chicago line him up opposite Connor Bedard on its two power-play flanks.
(Photo of Anton Frondell: Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
Corey Pronman is the senior NHL prospects writer for The Athletic. Previously, Corey worked in a similar role at ESPN. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreypronman
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