The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to terms Tuesday on a three-year, entry-level contract with forward Anton Frondell, whom they drafted with the No. 3 pick last month.
The deal carries a $975,000 salary-cap hit. When the Hawks last drafted third in 2019, forward Kirby Dach’s three-year contract had a $925,000 cap hit.
The Hawks certainly hope Frondell will pan out better than Dach, whom the Hawks traded to the Montreal Canadiens in July 2022.
Frondell is regarded as a two-way player with dogged defense and a dangerous shot, especially on the power play.
“I’m shooting a lot of pucks on my own,” he told the Tribune at the start of development camp. “When the practice is over, when we have free time on ice, I always stay until the Zamboni puts (on) the horns.
“So I love to be on the ice. I love to train. It’s maybe how I got better, I guess.”
Grant McCagg, a former NHL scout and current draft expert, told the Tribune, “Frondell is going to be a stud.”
The Hawks list him at 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, but McCagg said: “He will play at 215 or 220. Reminds me a bit of (former Hawks great and Hockey Hall of Famer Marián) Hossa but will be a center.”
The question now is where Frondell will play next season.
In all likelihood, he’ll return to Djurgårdens IF in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan men’s league, where the 18-year-old put up 11 goals and 14 assists last season and was named rookie of the year.
But Frondell is optimistic about making the Hawks out of training camp.
“We haven’t talked about any future plans yet,” he said during development camp. “But my dream is to play in the NHL, and I want to do it as soon as possible.
“So if I get a chance to be at the camp later and (I’m) fighting for a spot on the team, that’s just my dream. That’s what I will do. If I don’t make it, I’m going back and playing with Djurgårdens.”