The Chicago Blackhawks have finally started to get their season going with the return of their captain, Connor Bedard, into the lineup. The Blackhawks have won consecutive games for the first time in this campaign with a 4-3 overtime victory versus the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, improving Chicago’s record to 3-5. A key factor in the team’s improvement in form beyond the obvious candidates of Bedard and Patrick Kane has been the performance of Anton Frondell.
Teuvo Teravainen Complementary of Frondell’s Game
Frondell is one of two rookies suiting up for this Blackhawks team with Russian forward Roman Kantserov also in the mix. Frondell already has some previous experience with the club, having suited up for 12 games at the end of the 2025-2026 campaign. He impressed in that stint, amassing three goals and six assists in 12 games. Frondell has been able to carry that strong play into his first full season in the NHL. He currently paces the team with one goal and five assists in eight games. Not only does Frondell lead the Blackhawks in production, he also tops all rookies in the league. He is making his mark as one to watch in the Calder race.
Blackhawks veteran forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi have consistently been lining up with Frondell on the second line this season. The chemistry between the three has been building; they have arguably been the most reliable line for the team. Frondell’s line has been tasked with shutting down the opposition’s top units, having been matched up against the Sidney Crosby line on Tuesday and Mark Scheifele line in yesterday’s matchup.
The confidence Chicago coach Jeff Blashill has in Frondell is clear; asking your 19 year old rookie center to go up against the other teams top lines is a tall order. Teravainen had high praise when commenting on Frondell’s game at practice today via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times: “He’s young, but he can play old guy hockey.” By that, Frondell has a strong two-way game on both sides of the puck. He is an aggressive forechecker that is difficult to play against.
Frondell Among the Calder Favorites
Most of the attention towards potential 2027 Calder nominees as the NHL’s rookie of the year has understandably gone towards the Toronto Maple Leafs Gavin McKenna and San Jose Sharks Ivar Stenberg. This makes sense, considering these players were the top-two picks in this latest 2026 draft. Both players have received high marks for a reason as two of the most exciting emerging young talents in the game.
With that said, perhaps Frondell should be receiving more attention in this conversation. After all, he is a top-three draft pick as well. He was selected third overall by the Blackhawks in the 2025 draft. Being a year older and already having prior NHL experience to lean on heading into this season is an advantage. Another positive factor for him is the fact he is being counted on heavily by the team in a top-six role and special teams responsibility. Frondell has been placed in a viable position to succeed this season, and that is something he has taken advantage of to this point.
Blackhawks Veteran Has High Praise for Top Rookie