What Should the Blackhawks do with Anton Frondell?

Anton Frondell will be heading to Minneapolis later this month to take part in the World Junior Summer Showcase for Sweden. He is a shoo-in to play for his home country at this year’s tournament. That is, unless he is playing for the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL.

When Frondell was taken with the third overall pick of last month’s NHL Entry Draft, the initial expectation was for him to return to Sweden for the 2025-26 season. Now it sounds like he will get every chance to make the NHL roster out of training camp.

In his recent roster projections post, The Athletic’s Scott Powers wrote that the more he hears about Frondell, the more he feels he will start the season in Chicago. Powers is the most tuned in of all the local beat writers. He doesn’t put things out into the universe without having them double and triple-checked by multiple reliable sources. If he’s hearing the Blackhawks want to give Frondell a chance to make the team out of camp, then that’s what they are doing.

Some European players have clauses in their contracts that allow them to return to their home league if they don’t make the NHL. I don’t believe that is the case for Frondell, meaning he can play with the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League next year if he doesn’t make the NHL roster. Remember, the age restriction only applies to CHL players, so he is eligible to be sent down if need be.

The Blackhawks prefer to have their top prospects within their system. We saw it last year when Artyom Levshunov left Michigan State and turned pro. This allowed the team to put him on the development path they wanted for him and work with their staff and coaches. It paid off with his NHL debut at the end of the season. Surely, they would rather have Frondell in North America next season instead of halfway around the globe.

Frondell will likely play in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase ahead of training camp. He will get a long look in training camp and see a lot of action during the six-game preseason schedule. Giving him every opportunity to make the NHL roster is the correct move. Development isn’t linear, so if Frondell is ready for the NHL, let him play, especially in a season where you’ve committed to the youth movement.

Can Frondell handle the NHL as an 18-year-old? We’ll find out. He has an advantage over most players of his age by having spent last season in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier professional league. Playing against much older players, he scored 11 goals and recorded 25 points in 29 games. According to Elite Prospects, the average age of Djurgårdens IF was 25.17 last season, and the average age of the league was 24.7.

Granted, playing against veterans of HockeyAllsvenskan is not even close to playing against NHL competition. However, there is something to be said of excelling against older, stronger, and bigger hockey professionals than dominating against teenagers in juniors. The jump to the NHL will be difficult, but his experience gives him an advantage over what he would have had if he had played in the CHL last year.

Blackhawks fans should be excited about what Frondell can be. Whether that means he plays this year in the NHL, the AHL, or returns to Sweden, his future is bright. The Blackhawks letting him make their decision for them is the correct way to handle this. If he’s ready to play in the NHL come October, let him. Show that your commitment to playing the young core is real.