Worrisome details emerge and a top 3 draft pick is refusing to join his organization
Photo credit: NHL.com
A worrisome detail emerged about a top-three draft pick, as he could return to Europe if he doesn't make his team's NHL roster next season.
The NHL Draft is finally over, and with development camps set to start in the upcoming days, prospects will return home to train ahead of the next season.
It'll be interesting to see which prospects drafted this year will make it to the NHL as soon as next season, but usually, not many of them end up in the pros the following fall.
However, some of them have real chances of making it, including Matthew Schaefer and the Chicago Blackhawks' third overall pick Anton Frondell, two players drafted in the top three.
Frondell, 18, impressed last season with Djurgårdens in Sweden, scoring 25 points in 29 games.
With the Hawks looking to get younger and keep building the foundations of a strong team, Frondell could earn a spot on the lineup sooner than people thought.
But in a recent declaration, Frondell confirmed that he will return to Europe if he doesn't make it.
Indeed, NHL rules state that European players under contract must return to their teams if they don't earn an NHL spot and can't play in the AHL, per the CBA:
Frondell opened up on the importance of representing his country on the international scene and having three Swedish players drafted in the first round of the last draft:
"I think it's important. It shows how good of a country we are at ice hockey. We were close to winning the (IIHF) World Championship this year. We didn't do it. We lost against the U.S. in the semis, but Sweden is a good country in hockey."
That said, Frondell could end up joining the Hawks at the end of the season, and could play some games at the start of the regular calendar before being shipped back to Sweden.
Previously on HawksInsider
| POLL | ||
JUIN 30 | 347 ANSWERS Worrisome details emerge and a top 3 draft pick is refusing to join his organization Do you think Anton Frondell should play in the NHL next season? | ||
| Yes | 218 | 62.8 % |
| No | 129 | 37.2 % |
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