Step one for the Chicago Blackhawks was signing Anton Frondell, the No. 3 total choose within the 2025 NHL Draft, to an entry-level contract. That was completed on Tuesday with Frondell agreeing to a three-year deal.
The subsequent step is for the Blackhawks and the 18-year-old Frondell to determine the place he’ll play this season. Will or not it’s the NHL? Will he return to Sweden to play for Djurgården within the SHL?
a Swede signing‼️✍️
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Blackhawks common supervisor Kyle Davidson was hopeful after drafting Frondell that he’d a minimum of be a part of the group in coaching camp.
“I imagine he’ll be capable of come to coaching camp, yeah,” Davidson stated on June 27. “There’s most likely contract conditions and all that must be found out earlier than that, however we’ll see. I don’t assume we have now any expectation a technique or one other proper now. The plan as we stand right here at this time is that he’s taking part in in Djurgården within the SHL subsequent yr, however we’ve acquired lots of time to determine if that’s the most effective path. I believe it’s an important path if that’s the one that happens. We’ll simply type of determine that out.”
Frondell’s state of affairs is extra sophisticated than the Blackhawks most likely even thought when drafting him. After serving to Djurgården to be promoted final season to the SHL, there may be some strain for Frondell to return and provides Djurgården another season earlier than making the leap to North America.
It might be what Frondell needs too. He talked about just lately how a lot taking part in for Djurgården means to him.
“I grew up a Djurgården fan, so I’ve been within the crowd singing and attempting to assist the group win,” Frondell advised The Athletic on the NHL scouting mix. “And now being within the group, being part of the group who’s doing it, was actually cool. And I don’t assume I understand how massive that is. Some individuals are saying like, that is historic, that is historical past, this might be a historic group for the membership. And perhaps that’s not what I assumed in the course of the play, I used to be simply considering, ‘I like to play hockey and we’re going to win this,’ not how massive it could be. We performed AIK within the finals, largest rival sport in the entire Sweden, I don’t know, perhaps the entire Europe. It’s like, AIK and Djurgården hate one another. And having the ability to present them that we’re the king in Stockholm and that they’re our little brother was only a cool expertise.”
There’s an argument to be made that Djurgården could possibly be a great improvement place for Frondell this season. It’s a group and a coach who know him. He performed up within the lineup final season and could be anticipated to have a bigger position this season. Marcus Krüger, a former Blackhawks participant, is the captain at Djurgården and has grow to be somebody Frondell appears to be like as much as. Djurgården’s promotion to Sweden’s prime division would additionally permit Frondell to play in opposition to higher gamers. Frondell’s entry-level contract does slide a season if he performs in fewer than 10 NHL video games this coming season.
Djurgården coach Robert Kimby shared in Could the areas he thought Frondell may nonetheless enhance in.
“I believe that he has the whole lot inside himself,” Kimby advised The Athletic. “One of many issues for me is to be taught to launch it night time after night time. Even when he’s younger, he’s so sturdy. Typically even taking part in in opposition to males, you would virtually really feel like he didn’t carry each muscle or every bit of energy that he had. As a result of even in our league, he acquired penalties as a result of he ran over guys generally. In order that’s one of many issues, only for him to get snug understanding that, properly, that is how good I’m, simply to dominate. And I’m not saying it’s a psychological factor as a result of it’s not, as a result of he’s actually sturdy, however to be snug simply proudly owning each sport.”
Then again, it’s attainable Frondell has what it takes to play within the NHL this coming season. The Blackhawks envision him being a future linemate to Connor Bedard. Whether or not that’s reasonable now’s troublesome to gauge. The Blackhawks would like to see how Frondell performs on the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in September after which at their NHL coaching camp and in some preseason video games. If the Blackhawks could possibly be hands-on with Frondell instantly, simply as they had been with latest prime picks Bedard and Artyom Levshunov, that’s additionally very best. Frondell could be eligible to play within the AHL, however he’d simply as possible be loaned to Djurgården.
The one potential problem to bringing Frondell over to the Blackhawks coaching camp is that Djurgården’s season will already be underway. Djurgården’s coaching camp begins on July 28 and the primary sport is on Sept. 13. It’d be as much as Frondell and each groups to agree how that may work and what could be finest for Frondell’s improvement.
Based mostly on historical past, there are examples of top-five NHL draft picks taking part in in each leagues the yr after being drafted. Leo Carlsson went instantly to the play for the Anaheim Geese within the NHL in 2023. Lucas Raymond returned to Frölunda for one more season within the SHL earlier than taking part in for the Detroit Purple Wings the next season. Previous to Frondell, there have been 4 gamers drafted within the prime 5 within the final decade, and two stayed within the SHL for one more season and two went to the NHL.
Which means will Frondell? The reply ought to come quickly.
(Photograph: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Photographs)
