DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Tag: Frondell

  • Blackhawks vs Golden Knights Game Preview

    Blackhawks vs Golden Knights Game Preview

    The regular season has finally arrived, and for the first time in a long time, expectations for the Blackhawks are higher than “draft lottery hopeful”.

    There is no easing in to the season, as the Blackhawks’ first test will be the defending Western Conference champions.

    With additions such as Bowen Byram, Patrick Kane, and Roman Kantserov, the Blackhawks are no longer an easy two points for opposing teams. The Blackhawks are young, fast, and hungry, so capitalizing on teams like Vegas who are typically slow starters is key.

    If the Blackhawks can rack up points in the standings early, it will be a lot easier for them to stay in the race as other teams start to get into the rhythm of the season.

    The biggest factor of the night is obviously the absence of Connor Bedard, who skated alone prior to the Blackhawks morning skate. As usual, he was taking shots. According to Mark Lazerus of the Athletic, Bedard also “playfully delivered a shoulder check to the boards”.

    Blackhawks Expected Lines

    Moore – Kantserov – Kane

    Donato – Nazar – Lardis

    Bertuzzi – Frondell – Mangiapane

    Smith – Greene – Greenway

    Vlasic – Byram

    Kaiser – Levshunov

    Cole – Rinzel

    Knight

    Golden Knights Expected Lines

    Barbashev – Eichel – Stone

    Howden – Karlsson – Marner

    Connolly – Hertl – Olofsson

    Gatcomb – Dowd – Bowman

    McNabb – Theodore

    Wotherspoon – Andersson

    Lauzon – Hanifan

    Hart

    Players to watch

    Bowen Byram: Byram is making his regular season debut for the Blackhawks tonight. He was brought in to be a number one defenceman, an opportunity he has waited for his whole career. Byram dominated in the preseason, playing 25+ minutes, powerplay, penalty kill, and he even recorded a hattrick. If Byram is that dominant in the regular season, he will help make the Blackhawks a much better team.

    Patrick Kane: Kane may be 37-years-old, but he still has it. Avergain 0.86 points per game over the last three seasons in Detroit, Kane is expected to be the top-six playmaker and powerplay specialist this team desperately needs. Not to mention he is a franchise icon, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion.

  • The Blackhawks have two of the top Calder favorites in 2027

    The Blackhawks have two of the top Calder favorites in 2027

    The 2027 Calder race will be one to keep a close eye on, with high-end rookies like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Cole Hutson, Porter Martone, and James Hagens competing for rookie of the year, all of whom are all expected to play large roles on their respective teams.

    This season, the Blackhawks are expected to have two of the Calder Trophy favorites in Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov. The Blackhawks have had two players win the Calder Trophy in the last 10 years: Connor Bedard in 2024 and Artemi Panarin in 2016. 

    Both Frondell and Kantserov are going to play big roles for the Blackhawks this season. Not only at 5-on-5, where they both should be playing top-six, but also on the power play and penalty kill. 

    Anton Frondell is a 6’1” centerman who plays a well-rounded 200-foot game and has a cannon of a shot. Frondell was taken third overall in the 2025 NHL Draft and is expected to be a cornerstone piece of the team as they ascend towards competing for Stanley Cups. Frondell made his NHL debut at the end of last season, playing the final 12 games with the Blackhawks, where he put up nine points and drove the second line, centering Tyler Bertuzzi and Ilya Mikheyev. Not only are the Blackhawks starting this season with Frondell rather than just ending it with him, but they have also added Patrick Kane, Roman Kantserov, and an older, more experienced Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. 

    Anton Frondell is going to have every opportunity to play in the top six, where he will be surrounded by the previously mentioned Kane, Bedard, Nazar, and Kantserov. The Blackhawks expect to take a massive step this season, and if they do, Frondell will be a big part of it.

    The same can be said for the 5’9” Russian-born center, Roman Kantserov. Kantserov is entering his rookie season in the NHL and will have just as much opportunity as Frondell. Having played professional hockey in the KHL over the past three seasons, Kantserov has developed playing fast-paced hockey against grown men. He developed so well, in fact, that he ended up leading the KHL in goals with 36 last season.

    Like Frondell, Kantserov is expected to contribute immediately upon arrival. An expectation that very few players live up to in their first seasons. However, Kantserov is 21-years-old and, like I previously mentioned, has three seasons of professional hockey under his belt. 

    If both Frondell and Kantserov find themselves in the Calder conversation at the end of the season, then the Blackhawks as a whole likely took a big step.

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