Blackhawks Prospect Frondell Shines in Sweden, Navigates Spotlight

In the 2025 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks selected 18-year-old Anton Frondell with the 3rd overall pick, and they are now closely following his progress in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for Djurgården.

Just two weeks after Frondell scored five goals, including a highlight-reel "Michigan" goal, he was demoted to Djurgården's 13th forward, seeing just 2:42 of ice time in an SHL game. This raised concerns within the Blackhawks organization, but Djurgården's coach, Robert Kimby, has since explained the reasoning behind the decision.

Kimby says they wanted to "reset" Frondell and take the spotlight off him after the young forward had been the talk of the SHL and beyond. The coach felt the sudden media attention and hype was a lot for Frondell to handle, so they pulled him back for one game before quickly reintegrating him into the top-six.

Since then, Frondell has continued to play key minutes for Djurgården, ranging from 12 to 16 minutes per game and seeing time on the first, second, and third lines at both center and wing. Kimby has been pleased with Frondell's two-way play, though he notes the prospect can sometimes be too unselfish, wanting him to be a bit more aggressive with his high-end shot.

As of November 14, 2025, Frondell has 8 goals and 5 assists in 18 SHL games. There is a chance he could join the Blackhawks late in the season depending on how Djurgården's playoff run goes, as the team currently sits 4th in the league standings.