The Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect pipeline keeps getting louder, and the latest outside validation came from NHL Network.
A new ranking of the 26 best prospects in the NHL put Anton Frondell at No. 3 and Roman Kantserov at No. 23, a strong sign that Chicago’s depth is more than just a talking point. The Athletic recently labeled the Blackhawks’ pipeline the fourth-best in the league, and beyond Connor Bedard, who’s still just 21, it singled out Frondell and Kantserov as the organization’s top two prospects.
The NHL Network list carries a built-in wrinkle: the players had to be eligible for the Calder Trophy this season. That means other young Blackhawks such as Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, Wyatt Kaiser, and Artyom Levshunov were not included.
Still, the presence of Frondell and Kantserov near the top only adds to the sense that Chicago has real talent stacked throughout the system. Frondell, the third-overall pick in 2025, finished last spring with three goals and nine points in 12 games after wrapping up his season in Sweden. Kantserov, meanwhile, is heading into his first NHL season after a massive year in the KHL, where he scored 36 goals in 63 games for Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
That kind of production is why he’s viewed as one of the more intriguing names in the group. At 21, he’s considered close to NHL-ready, and if he can adjust quickly, he could make an immediate impact.
There’s also a reason to keep expectations grounded. Even with the buzz, Frondell and Kantserov are still young players entering a league that punishes mistakes fast. If both stick with the Blackhawks all season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them enter the Calder Trophy conversation.
Frondell’s late-season showing offered a glimpse of what the ceiling might look like. A 30-goal season wouldn’t be out of the question if he carries over that momentum.
He proved he can handle NHL competition even at 19, and his combination of size and skill gives him a chance to beat defenders in a lot of different ways. The big variable is consistency; if he avoids long scoring droughts, he could look like a top-line center or winger right away.
Kantserov is harder to peg. He’s the kind of player you really have to see in NHL action before making a firm call, and there’s a good chance he’ll need some time to adapt to the North American game.
His size may create some challenges, but his skill gives him a real path to success. If he settles in quickly, a 20-goal, 40-plus-point season wouldn’t be crazy to imagine.
If both forwards hit, the Blackhawks could be looking at two of the best young attackers in the game.
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