2025 NHL Draft: Chicago Blackhawks select Anton Frondell with No. 3 overall pick

Blackhawks new head coach Jeff Blashill explains why Chicago's the right fit for him

FOX 32's Tina Nguyen sat down with the Chicago Blackhawks new head coach Jeff Blashill to discuss a range of topics, including why the Windy City is the right fit for him.

The Chicago Blackhawks continued their rebuild with another top-five pick on Friday.

The 'Hawks selected Swedish forward Anton Frondell with the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

What we know:

This selection was always going to be made with Connor Bedard in mind.

The Blackhawks' bonafide star has re-affirmed his commitment to Chicago multiple times this offseason, saying he wants to stay in Chicago. It's time for the Blackhawks to keep building around him.

This should include free agents and draft picks. Selecting Frondell falls into the latter, which will help figure out what the team does with Bedard.

Frondell recorded 25 points on 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 regular-season games with Djurgårdens IF in HockeyAllsvenskan during the 2024-25 campaign. He earned HockeyAllsvenskan Rookie of the Year honors. 

Does this mean Bedard moves from center out to the wing? Or will this help the balance of power on the top line as Bedard gains firepower to play with? That's up to first-year head coach Jeff Blashill now.

These questions will be answered later, but selecting Frondell gives a glimpse into what that might be.

Big picture view:

This is another top-rated prospect that will join the Blackhawks' pipeline of talented players the organization needs to develop.

The Blackhawks have added No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard, No. 2 overall pick Aytrom Levshunov and, now, No.3 overall pick Frondell. 

The hope is that these three players will eventually comprise the core of players of a successful Blackhawks' run in the future. When that future becomes the present is unknown.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has previously noted this rebuild will take time. But, he's also aware that results need to show. The Blackhawks have had the second-to-worst record in the NHL the last two years.

Davidson did go out and spend money to acquire Teuvo Teravainen, Alec Martinez and other free agents in an effort to improve the team's record. That never materialized as Martinez got injured, Taylor Hall was traded to Carolina and defenseman Seth Jones got traded to Florida.

The good news, though, is the new faces.

First-year head coach Jeff Blashill will have a vision that the existing players and the pipeline can adhere to. Anders Sorensen brings familiarity, too. Davidson's rebuild has to take the next step this season to connect with the future, which will be the prospects the Blackhawks are hoping to see on the ice soon.

Frondell falls into the latter.