Giving out great grades for the Chicago Blackhawks' 2025 first-round picks

The Chicago Blackhawks entered the 2025 NHL Draft looking to add size, skill, physicality, and grit — and they did just that.

Anton Frondell — 3rd Overall

Grade: A+

Chicago selected forward Anton Frondell third overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The 6-foot-1, 198-pound center plays a heavy game, excels in transition, and arguably has one of the best shots in the draft class. He tallied 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 29 games in Sweden's HockeyAllsvenskan league this year.

Frondell would be a great fit alongside Connor Bedard. His strength along the boards, net-front presence and finishing ability complements Bedard's elite vision and playmaking.

Hawks fans were disappointed to see Michael Misa go second overall to the San Jose Sharks, but they get an exciting, electric player in Anton Frondell who suits their needs. He is an elite two-way player who will be a key piece for the Hawks moving forward.

Vaclav Nestrasil — 25th Overall

Grade: A

At pick No. 25, Chicago went big — literally — selecting Vaclav Nestrasil. The 6-foot-6 winger notched 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 61 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL this season.

Nestrasil's reach and fame make him a menace on the ice, winning puck battles along the boards and showing offensive flair. He is committed to playing for the UMass Minutemen for the 2025-26 season, where he'll hope to develop at the college level.

This pick signals Chicago's intention to bring more size and physicality to their forward group — something that they been missing during their rebuild.

Mason West — 29th Overall

Grade: A+

Four picks later, the Chicago Blackhawks traded their 34th and 62nd picks in the 2025 NHL Draft along with a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 29th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and made it count. They drafted 6-foot-6, 218 pound center Mason West from Edina, Minnesota.

West is a two-sport athlete, having played high school football and hockey. He'll play one more season of football in the fall of 2025 before fully committing to hockey with the Fargo Force of the USHL. He will eventually skate for Michigan State in 2026-27.

West has the athleticism, physical maturity, and raw potential to become a top 10 talent for the Blackhawks. He tallied nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 10 games for the Fargo Force this past season. He brings muscle and grit to the Blackhawks' lineup.

Chicago addressed everything they were lacking — size, skill, and physicality. The team landed a top-end skilled forward in Frondell, size and scoring in Nestrasil, and brute force in West.

With all the picks the Blackhawks selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, we could be seeing the return of winning hockey and the next era of Blackhawks success.