Chicago’s already young roster is about to get even younger for the stretch run. Top prospect Anton Frondell’s playoff run in the SHL came to an end today, paving the way for him to officially make his debut in North America. To that end, Scott Powers of The Athletic relays (subscription link) that the Blackhawks are expected to recall the youngster and he could make his NHL debut as soon as next week.
The 18-year-old was the third overall pick last June and the second forward to come off the board. Frondell spent most of his draft year in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan level, helping his club team Djurgardens earn a promotion to the SHL for this season. He fared quite well, tallying 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 regular season games while adding seven points in 16 playoff contests.
Although Frondell is a natural center, he spent the bulk of this season playing on the wing with Djurgardens. It allowed his scoring side to come out as he potted 20 goals (with eight assists) in 43 games, good for a tie for seventh league-wide in tallies. He also played a big role for Sweden at the World Juniors, chipping in with eight points in seven games en route to a gold medal. Now, he’s ready to take that next step and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him deployed on the wing in Chicago to allow him to ease in.
While Sacha Boisvert’s debut is presently on hold while he waits to receive his work visa, that won’t be the case for Frondell. The team clarified that Frondell already went through the visa process when he signed his entry-level deal over the summer. Accordingly, he’ll be eligible to play as soon as he joins the team.
But even with that, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chicago manage Frondell’s minutes somewhat. While it rarely comes up at this time of the season, the Blackhawks would officially burn the first season of his contract if he plays in ten or more games. A Sunday debut seems highly unlikely but if he joins the team on their upcoming road trip, there will be a dozen games left in the season. It doesn’t seem worth burning a year to get him three extra games so the Blackhawks will likely limit Frondell’s game action to nine appearances or less to ensure he’ll still have three years left on his contract heading into next season. But even with that, Frondell will have some runway to get his feet wet at the top level before making a push for a full-time opportunity in 2026-27.
2 down 1 to go. Sign Kantserov and let the games begin! Gives me something to watch for the end of the year. Especially since the draft sucks now.
Kantserov plays for one of the best teams in the KHL. His season will likely last well into April so he’s not coming over until next season (if at all). Blackhawks history with Russian draftees over decades is quite disappointing. Vorobiev, Yakubov, Nabakov, Krivokrasov, Klimovich, Motkov, Shalunov, Kayumov ring a bell ?