Story by
Blackhawks’ Anton Frondell on Viktor Eklund relationship amid NHL Draft
- Story by
- Blackhawks’ Anton Frondell on Viktor Eklund relationship amid NHL Draft
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The post Blackhawks' Anton Frondell on Viktor Eklund relationship amid NHL Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Chicago Blackhawks picked third in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on Friday night and picked Anton Frondell. After a great year in Sweden, Frondell jumped up the board to be a consensus top-five pick. His linemate, Viktor Eklund , also had a great year and was slated to be a first overall pick. After Eklund went to the New York Islanders 16th overall, Frondell told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus what it means to be drafted on the same night as his friend.
Advertisement
"We're doing this together. We'll be so happy for each other. So, right now I'm excited to meet him and just give him a hug," Frondell said, per Lazerus.
Eklund and Frondell played together on Djurgårdens in Sweden. They played on the same line, helping each other rack up points and shoot into the first round. Frondell joins a Blackhawks team that is looking to get out of its rebuild and contend for the playoffs. They believe Frondell has the elite skill to join Connor Bedard in the top six.
The Islanders took Eklund, who should be a familiar name for hockey fans. His brother William Eklund was a first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks and has had a solid start to his NHL career. At 22 years old, William had 58 points for San Jose this year. Viktor hopes to join him in the NHL soon.
Frondell and Eklund could make their respective NHL teams out of training camp. But if they don't, Team Sweden at the World Junior Championships will be one to watch. With two first-round talents who work well together, they could be contending for the gold medal.
Advertisement
The Islanders and Blackhawks do not have any picks remaining for the rest of the first round. But anything can happen at the NHL Draft. Follow along all night on ClutchPoints!
