The NHL draft is two weeks away and many are releasing their updated mock drafts after the recent draft combine. The combine saw many prospects impress NHL teams whether it be from their performance on the various fitness tests or from the personality they showed during interviews.
Staff members of the Athletic compiled their Mock Draft 2.0 (subscription required) for the first round of the upcoming draft. The representative for each team gave their insight into who they believe could be picked based on information they've gathered from covering said teams.
Scott Powers sat in the general manager's chair during this mock draft for the Chicago Blackhawks' selections.
With the third overall pick, he has the Blackhawks selecting Swedish forward Anton Frondell.
Based on recent mock drafts and various reports, it is no secret that Kyle Davidson and his staff think very highly of Anton Frondell. As the draft quickly approaches, it seems as though the team will narrow their choice down to one of Frondell, Porter Martone, or Caleb Desnoyers.
While this pick is bound to cause disagreements amongst the fanbase, it is not to say Frondell is a bad player. He had issues with consistency this season which is worth noting, but he does play a complete game and has one of the best shots in the draft. His 25 points in 29 games for Djurgårdens IF in the HockeyAllsvenskan league this year were among the highest draft-year totals that league has seen in some time, though most of those totals came in the second-half of the season.
Frondell is physically mature for his age at 6-foot-one inch and 198 pounds, and it showed this year as he often had opposing players bounce off of him. He protects the puck well and has average playmaking abilities, but the lack of high-end playmaking and vision has led some to be lower on him.
Frondell spent time playing both center and wing this season, which makes him versatile and opens up more possibilities for the Blackhawks' future lineup if he is the pick. He is a player with lots of raw potential who could be a perennial top-six, two-way contributor if developed correctly. He will spend another season in Sweden as he looks to elevate to the SHL and would likely come to North America in the 2026-27 season.
The worries some have about Frondell are whether or not he has the upside of other players in the third-overall range.
It seems that, at worst, Frondell could be a third-line forward in the NHL due to his complete game with a strong, physical, edge. Compare him to a player like Porter Martone who has the size (6-foot-3 and 205 pounds) and scoring ability that fans are hoping for. Frondell actually plays a more physical game than Martone and is a better skater, though the worries about Martone's skating seem overblown at this point.
Where Martone has the edge on Frondell is the hockey-sense in the offensive zone. Martone has the sense and playmaking that has led many to believe he has true superstar upside. Frondell is a more well-rounded player who has shown room to grow with his offensive capabilities whereas Martone's offense is less of a "what if?" right now while also having the physical attributes of a true power-forward.
While both players are different and similar in their own ways, it seems the Blackhawks' will be getting a player with power-forward tendencies either way. Of the three players the team seems to be interested in, their decision should be between Frondell or Martone.
While the third-overall pick is garnering the most attention from Blackhawks' fans, and rightfully so, they do also have the rights to the 25th selection as well. Many believe the team should package this pick along with additional assets to acquire a player who can help contribute in the NHL right now, but any moves involving this pick are yet to have taken place.
In the Athletic's mock draft, Scott Powers has the Blackhawks selecting center Ivan Ryabkin with the 25th pick in the 2025 NHL draft.
Ryabkin is a divisive player in this draft, to say the least. Early season rankings had the Russian center comfortably as a top 10 pick and possibly even sneaking into the top five of the draft. However, this season was not kind to Ryabkin's draft stock as he has seen his ranking fall into the late first round.
The talent that Ryabkin brings is undeniable as he showed great promise overseas and continued to do so in North America this season for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. He tallied 30 points in 27 games and added 16 points in 14 playoff games during his first season in North America.
Ryabkin has shown to be lethal offensively with excellent puck skills and vision while also providing a strong physical edge to his game. At 5-foot-11, 201 pounds, he has pro-ready size and uses it to his advantage on the ice. He is a true boom or bust pick and there are some who believe he may even have elite upside if he truly lives up to his potential.
The issues that come with Ryabkin have stemmed from a lack of engagement and character concerns. There are times where Ryabkin will showcase very undisciplined traits on the ice that result in thoughtless mistakes which has not been favorable to NHL scout's perception of him. Concerns have also been raised about his effort on and off the ice especially in the defensive zone and his conditioning.
Whichever team selects Ryabkin will be taking a chance on the high-end potential he has and will have to hope that he can mature and be developed properly in order to become an NHL player. Powers' argues in the mock draft that the Blackhawks can afford to take a swing on a player like Ryabkin and the amount of prospects they have gives the team flexibility to be patient with his development.
Drafting Ryabkin will undoubtedly be met with criticism, but the upside offensively is apparent and his physical play would be a great asset if he is to hit on his potential. He may not be the popular pick for the Blackhawks, especially if scorers like Ryker Lee and Cullen Potter are still on the board, but the idea of swinging for the fences on Ryabkin is not a bad one, in theory. If he does end up being the pick, assuming the selection is not traded, the Blackhawks must be confident they can develop Ryabkin properly.
