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3rd overall pick Anton Frondell caught in lie to evade the Chicago Blackhawks organization
Photo credit: The Chicago Sun-Times
The Blackhawks took Anton Frondell with the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, but it looks as though he has plans to return to Sweden, via analyst Scott Powers.
The Chicago Blackhawks took forward Anton Frondell of Sweden with the 3rd pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, and they want him to be part of the next young wave of talent that will help the Blackhawks get back into contention.
But it looks like Frondell's word of him saying that he hopes to play with the Blackhawks this year is false; the plan all along was for him to return to Sweden to play another year in his homeland.
Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Blackhawks learned of Frondell's original intentions after they picked him in the NHL Entry Draft, not before.
The Blackhawks learned more about Frondell's plan after drafting him. Originally, they hadn't ruled out his coming to training camp and seeing how he stacked up against NHL competition in preseason games. But as the Blackhawks negotiated Frondell's entry-level contract and discussed what he sought for the upcoming season, he expressed his desire to return to Djurgården for another year.
Per Djurgarden general manager Niklas Wikegard, he knew that Frondell would come back to Sweden last fall.
Actually, we already talked about it in October, November (of 2024) that it doesn't matter if we're going to play SHL or HockeyAllsvenskan, in the second league in Sweden. So it would be good for him to play at least one more year in Sweden and just mature physically as a player.
It may be a bit before Frondell starts making waves in the NHL.
Anton Frondell declined Chicago's invite to Development Camp
Despite telling Blackhawks reporters that he wanted to make the team this year, Frondell declined an invite to last month's Development Camp.
It goes against what he he initially said shortly after being taken by Chicago.
If I get the chance to take a spot on the team, I will do everything I can to do that, to play. And if I'm not good enough, if I don't make it, I'm going back to Djurgardens.
Blackhawks fans will have to wait and see what happens next.
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