The Blackhawks are heading into 2026-27 with two rookie forwards squarely in the Calder Trophy conversation.
In a new ranking from Harman Dayal, Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman of The Athletic, Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov both landed inside the top 20 among this year’s rookie candidates. Kantserov checked in at No. 5, while Frondell followed at No. 7.
That lines up with the kind of role both players are expected to walk into when the season opens Sept. 29 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Chicago is once again leaning on first-year players to handle real NHL minutes right away, and this time the spotlight is on the forwards. With Connor Bedard not fully healthy to start the year, Frondell and Kantserov could even end up centering the Blackhawks’ first and second lines in the opener.
Either way, both are projected to be heavily involved from the start. The Blackhawks are planning to use them in the top six, and they should also see time on the team’s first power-play unit alongside Bedard, Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi. That kind of usage is exactly what gives rookie honors some shape before the season even begins.
The Athletic also made clear that a player’s profile is only part of the equation. Linemates, power-play time, role and usage all matter, and Frondell and Kantserov seem to have plenty going for them in those areas.
Kantserov’s placement ahead of Frondell is a little eyebrow-raising, at least on paper. Frondell already showed in a short NHL look last season that he could handle himself in a top-six role at 19, while Kantserov has not yet played a pro game with the Blackhawks organization. But Kantserov brings a longer track record in pro hockey, and that matters here too.
Wheeler’s explanation for Kantserov was direct:
“Kantserov is the reigning KHL goal king and was one of the top players outside the NHL last season. While Anton Frondell is the bigger name and showed he could produce in the NHL last year, Kantserov will likely play with Bedard on the top line at five-on-five on top of sharing a spot with Frondell on PP1. With his speed, skill, shot and sneaky strength, he’s positioned to make an immediate impact offensively.”
Frondell’s case is built on a different kind of momentum. Wheeler pointed to how quickly he looked at home in his brief NHL stint:
“Frondell surprised some, this writer included, with his 9-in-12 start and just how much he looked like he immediately belonged in the NHL in the spring. Doing that over 84 games is something else altogether, especially as a center - though I’ve always liked him better on the wing and have heard he quietly prefers the wing too.
His size, stick and shot have always carried him and will continue to do so in the NHL, enabling him to crank one-timers on the power play and score around the net and occasionally from distance at five-on-five. His pace, playmaking and general inconsistency have troubled him at times over the years and will likely produce some up-and-down stretches through his rookie season.
Still, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he scored 20-30 goals as a rookie with that shot of his.”
FanDuel Sportsbook’s 2027 Calder Trophy board is similarly tight at the top. Frondell is listed at 9/1, tied with Washington Capitals defenseman Cole Hutson for fourth favorite.
Kantserov is right behind him at 16/1, fifth on the board. Philadelphia Flyers forward Porter Martone, at +260, is the favorite and was ranked No. 1 by The Athletic.
What stands out about the group near the top is how little NHL experience most of them have. Martone, Hutson and McKenna have combined for just 33 professional games.
By contrast, Kantserov turns 22 in September and has played 163 pro games over the past three seasons in Russia. Frondell, who is 19, logged 55 pro games in 2025-26 alone, plus 38 more in Sweden’s second pro division across 2023-24 and 2024-25.
So while much of this rookie class is still trying to prove it can handle the jump, the Blackhawks’ two forwards already have a strong pro résumé behind them. That experience, paired with the opportunity in front of them, is why both Frondell and Kantserov have a real shot to spend this season in the Calder Trophy race.
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