The Blackhawks rebuild is still moving steadily along, and in the 2025 NHL entry draft, Chicago has given young star Connor Bedard a very suitable future linemate. After selecting Connor Bedard first overall in the 2023 draft, and selecting top defenseman prospect Artyom Levshunov in 2024, the Blackhawks selected Swedish center Anton Frondell with the third overall selection in this year’s draft.

It was no question the consensus first overall pick would be Matthew Schaefer, followed by Michael Misa and the third pick was a toss up between Frondell, Porter Martone, James Hagens, or any of the other incredibly talented forwards in the draft. Hawks fans were skeptical but still hopeful that Michael Misa would somehow drop one spot and fall into their laps at pick 3, however, San Jose didn’t hesitate and took Misa at number 2. Still, Frondell is an exceptional talent that has put on numerous showcases while playing for team Sweden’s world juniors roster at international tournaments.

His natural knack for scoring goals and being in good position to generate offence is what makes him valuable, with tons of incredibly raw potential to be harnessed and developed. The future tandem of Bedard and Frondell is something all Hawks fans should be dreaming of, and something the rest of the league should be put on notice for. Bedard certainly had quite the sophomore slump compared to his rookie season, and one of the biggest notes on the season was how many different line combinations Bedard played with. It was impossible for Bedard to get accustomed to playing alongside the same guys every shift since it was switching up so often, which made it difficult to get into a groove of playing on a line and thus made it harder for him to create his own offence. Adding Frondell to a line with Bedard will create a dual scoring threat at all times for the opposing defense, and will give Bedard the alternative choice to focus on being more of a playmaker and a passer than just a pure goal scorer. Taking the pressure and all of the responsibility off of Bedsy’s shoulders will do nothing but open up his ability to play more freely and confidently, and give Frondell the opportunity to shine and display his talents alongside one of the best young phenoms in the league.

In all honesty, the Blackhawks are most likely not going to be anywhere close to competitive yet again next season, but they are slowly building up a group through the draft that will result in the core of a new generation of young studs that will bring relevancy and playoff aspirations back to the windy city.