Chicago Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Grades: Anton Frondell

The Chicago Blackhawks finished their 2025-26 campaign 31st in the league, with a record of 29-39-14 and 72 points. It was an improvement from last season’s totals of 25-46-11 (61 points), but the organization had more progress in mind when they embarked on this campaign. The good news is the Blackhawks finished with more wins and more points than the previous season. They also feel they’ve taken positive strides in the growth and development of a plethora of young players, who could be a big part of a more successful future.

In this summer series, we’ll hand out individual grades to every player on the team. Today we highlight top forward prospect Anton Frondell.  

Frondell’s Season Stats

3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, minus-1 in 12 games played. Average time on ice (ATOI) of 17:42 minutes

43.3 Corsi For Percentage (at Even Strength) (CF%), 13 blocked shots, 8 hits, 2 takeaways, 11 giveaways, 4 penalty minutes

30.2 Faceoff Percentage (FO%)

Contract Status: Entry-Level Contract (ELC) runs through the 2027-28 season, $975,000 cap hit

Season Overview

A lot of young players earned their stripes this season, but nobody hit the ground running like Frondell did. The Blackhawks’ third overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft joined the team for the final 12 games, after his previous team, Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League, was eliminated from the playoffs.

Head coach Jeff Blashill was impressed with what he’d seen from the young forward even before he suited up for the Hawks. Ahead of Frondell’s NHL debut on Mar. 24, Blashill said,

One of the things that I’ve been impressed with watching him on tape in the Swedish League, and I would say that Swedes are coached well this way; he doesn’t cheat for offense. He’s played pro hockey really for two years.

For him, he’s had to defend, he’s had to be a fourth liner, he’s had to do those kind of things. And so I think it helps him grow. And I think learning how to produce offense while playing a two-way game is the biggest thing to become a winning hockey team. He already kind of does that. So real good pro habits, that’s gonna allow him to have success, for sure.

Frondell stood out from day one as strong and smart and someone who already knew how to play the right way. He was immediately deployed on the top line alongside Connor Bedard, and the top power play unit. The Swedish native earned his first point (a primary assist) in his NHL debut, and another primary assist in his second game.

By his fourth game, Blashill was impressed enough with Frondell’s two-way game to give him second line center responsibilities. The youngster responded with his first multi-point game (two more helpers). His first goal came in his fifth game, and he had a two-goal outing in his ninth NHL contest.

FIRST GOAL AS A HAWK 🥹❤️‼️ pic.twitter.com/zzZBgb7hKu

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 1, 2026

For his part, Frondell was super humble about it all. He kept reiterating in interviews that the game was so much faster at the NHL level. Yet he never looked like he was having any trouble keeping up. He admitted to being a little surprised at his production, and immediately credited his teammates for making it easy for him.

On Apr. 9, after an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes where Frondell scored the only two goals for the Blackhawks, he was asked about his game away from the puck.

A little up and down, I would say. Like last game at home, couple bad reads. Lost my guy there. No time, and stuff like that. But overall just trying to work hard. I always try my best on the backchecks, finding the guy who’s coming late. But it feels like I can still learn a lot. I mean, first couple games in this league and playing center, it’s a big role.

Frondell handled that “big” role very well, earning him Rookie of the Year honors in our THW Blackhawks Player Awards. All in all, the Swedish native amassed three goals and nine points while registering 36 shots on goal and averaging a healthy 17:42 minutes of ice time. He was a huge threat on the top power play unit as well, not afraid to rip his dangerous one-timer from his spot on the right flank.

The young center further recorded 13 blocked shots and eight hits and had a plus/minus rating of plus-1. Really the only knock on him was his 30.2% faceoff percentage. He admitted this was a struggle for him, but said he got more comfortable with faceoffs as the season wound down.

Quotable Quote

In a bit of a feel-good story, Frondell was originally assigned No. 15 by the Blackhawks. But with the departure of Jason Dickinson to the Edmonton Oilers, the young prospect convinced the team to let him change to No. 16, in honor of his teammate and mentor from Djurgardens, Marcus Kruger. Yes, the same Kruger who won two Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks (in 2013 and 2015) .

Frondell couldn’t switch jerseys until they got back from their road trip, so he sported his new number for the first time in his debut at the United Center (where he fittingly scored his first NHL goal).

s/o Krüger 🫡❤️ pic.twitter.com/JTnglqN8cw

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 1, 2026

Frondell on changing to No. 16 out of respect for Kruger:

He’s been a good guy for me for over two seasons back in Sweden, like a mentor. It’s pretty awesome to play with the same number…I asked him if he will get angry at me. But it was fine. He seems happy.

It speaks to Frondell’s character that he was so excited to honor his mentor and friend in this way.

Frondell’s Final Grade: A

It doesn’t escape me that I gave Frondell a higher mark than I did for Bedard’s season grade. Bedard came into the season showing improvement, and was the elite player he was expected to be. So this is NOT a knock on Bedard. But Frondell came in with the thought process he would get his feet wet in the NHL, and perhaps show some future promise along the way.

Instead, he highly exceeded expectations and is in the conversation to be the No. 2 center of the future. At 18 years of age (he just turned 19 on May 7), and after just 12 NHL games. All things considered, I’d say that’s deserving of an A grade.

It will be super exciting to see what kind of an impact Frondell will make in a full season next year.