Blackhawks 3rd overall pick Anton Frondell sends a bold message to teammate Connor Bedard

The former Djurgardens IF forward answered scout Mike Doneghey's question of where he'd fit into the Blackhawks lineup. Frondell, who has played the majority of his career as a center, gave a surprisingly confident answer.

He stated he'd slot in wherever Connor Bedard, the big dog in the Blackhawks lineup, wouldn't.

Which just has an air of confidence that we haven't heard from a lot of prospects in this draft class. It seems Frondell is confident about his abilities and would easily accept an assignment on the top line (should he earn it) and playing alongside Bedard, which might be a spark to the team's offense that's sorely needed.

This is just an answer we've never gotten a chance to hear until recently, as scouting interviews are typically between the team and their prospect.

He thinks awfully highly of himself, which, as a two-way power forward, we hope translates to the ice. Already comparing himself to Sasha Barkov in post-draft interviews, he'll need to back it up at training camp.

In 29 games with Djurgardens IF, Frondell scored 25 points (11-14) in 29 games.

Slotting him on a line with Connor Bedard could see an exponential increase in production. Using his brute strength to create space on the ice could see Bedard take advantage of it to create offense and make plays, too.

The Blackhawks come out of the 2025 NHL Draft with a successful group of picks, and Frondell is now the spearhead of the newest class of prospects.