Now that the NHL Draft Lottery order has been determined, the Flyers, who finished as the 4th worst team in the NHL, did not have the ping pong balls bounce their way as the New York Islanders and the Utah Mammoth (that’ll take some getting used to) jumped them. With that being said, that means we’ll draft 6th in this upcoming first round.
I want to preface this by saying to those who feel like we were robbed and we’re not going to get a high-end talent: That is just not the case. The importance of losing down the stretch became the difference between us drafting 6th or 9th. At nine, you start to have questions about the player you’re likely drafting. According to the main draft experts, the 2nd tier of prospects (after the 1st tier of Michael Misa and Matthew Schaefer) only has 4 guys this year, so as long as Danny Briere and the scouts agree with that sentiment, we’re still going to be getting an impact player who may be able to jump in this upcoming year if not definitely the year after.
Over the next few days/weeks, I’ll be taking a look at the following prospects where I’ll be watching video of their game and providing highlights/lowlights. As always, these will just be my opinions, and everyone is free to make their own declaration on which prospect they want the Flyers to draft.
The prospects I’ll be looking at (based largely on Scott Wheeler’s List):
- Anton Frondell
- James Hagens
- Porter Martone
- Caleb Desnoyers
- Victor Eklund
- Jake O’Brien
- Roger McQueen
After that, depending on how the series is going, I may dive into some others, but this is the list of guys I’ve been following for the last few months in anticipation of the Flyers not picking Misa or Schaefer.
Starting Today with Anton Frondell
Frondell is listed at 6’1″ 198 pounds. He played a majority of the year in the second tier of professional hockey in Sweden in a league known as HockeyAllsvenskan. This is directly below the SHL (Swedish Elite League). One thing to note is that while Djurgarden may have been in the second tier Swedish league, thanks in large part to Frondell and Viktor Eklund (another top prospect in this year’s draft), they ended the season in first place and then won the playoffs against the third seed AIK, earning them promotion into the SHL for next year.
Now onto Frondell’s game:
I’ve got 20 clips here over the course of 5 sections (each section will have four videos) – First, we’re going to get a look at a few of the different ways he can score: Puck battle, in the slot, quick release, and finding the soft ice for a one-timer.
Section 1 – Scoring Versatility: Beyond the One-Time
Clip 1 (Frondell Corner Battle): Here we see Frondell actively engage in a corner battle against two opposing players. He not only gets possession and kicks the puck out, but he then sets up in the O-zone, floating around quietly trying to avoid attention from the defenders in front. He pops out when the defensemen get the puck as an option down low. A very subtle yet high IQ play in the O-zone. By not engaging in a battle with the defensemen before the puck is shot on net, it allows him to be completely free so when his teammate gets the puck behind the net, he’s wide open in front for an easy goal. It seems simple, but by being willing to engage in a corner battle and welcome the physicality, it keeps his team in possession of the puck and tires the defense out, which eventually leads to the goal.
Clip 2 (Frondell Slot): One of the things you’re going to notice a lot is that when Frondell has time and space in the slot, he’s going to make you pay. He has a relatively quick release and he’s capable of making other teams pay when they don’t pay attention to him. In this case, he joins a regroup off a change and buries it without hesitation.
Clip 3 (Frondell Quick Release): This goal showcases more of his hockey IQ. Right off the rush, the D-man springs Frondell and a teammate on a 2-on-2. Now the third forward is trailing, but by the time he gets into the rush, there are two backcheckers with him so it really would’ve been a 3-on-4. Frondell, knowing he’s F2 on the rush, would usually drive the net if there’s a third guy with them. However, in the neutral zone you see Frondell do a quick shoulder check, realizing that this rush is better off being a 2-on-2. So instead of driving to the net taking his defender with him, we see Frondell get into the soft ice. Since his defender didn’t attach to him early on in the rush, he has enough time and space to get a quick release shot off, ending in a goal.
Clip 4 (Frondell Soft Ice): This is a great example of Frondell’s subtle yet highly effective deception. The defender is all over him as the puck is coming back down the boards. Frondell starts to skate behind the net before immediately pushing off when he sees his teammate curl back up the boards. If you pay attention, this little hesitation causes the defenseman to lose Frondell as he immediately checks behind the net (where he thinks he moved to) before realizing he got right into the middle of the slot ready for a one-timer, which as you’ll see in the rest of the article, he has no problem burying.
Section 2 – International Dominance: Frondell Against His Peers
Before jumping into these clips, I want to mention that while watching Frondell against his own age, you really notice his size and his skating stands out a little more than it did in the professional league in Sweden against grown men.
Clip 1 (Frondell Sweden PowerPlay): We’re going to dive into the power play here where we’ll see his strengths on that right flank as a shooting threat. What I liked the most is how he starts off on the left point, goes to the top of the power play, and immediately after moving it, he gets to his spot (which no doubt USA had pre-scouted). But not just standing there like Ovi, USA wasn’t prepared for that shot as this play happens so fast.
Clip 2 (Frondell Sweden Forecheck): Frondell on the forecheck is what causes the USA defensemen to make a bad pass on the breakout. He’s relentlessly on both defenders as they move it multiple times trying to avoid him. Once they make a bad pass, the Swedish defensemen throws it into an area allowing Frondell to go in one-on-one, showcasing his edgework and hands as he buries one in close with a quick release snapshot.
Clip 3 (Frondell Rush One Timer): Right off the faceoff loss, it actually turns into a little three-on-three rush where Frondell again goes to his favored right flank for a one-timer.
Clip 4 (Frondell Shorthanded): This one is a shorthanded tally. We get to see Frondell engage in a few battles, head to the front of the net looking to block a shot right before Canada turns it over, and he beats the defensemen where we get a glimpse of his hands as he scores on the breakaway with a little fake shot to the backhand.
Section 3 – Powerplay Creativity: More Than Just a Trigger Man
In these four clips, shockingly, there are no one-timers taken. I wanted to make sure I showed how Frondell isn’t just some one-trick pony who takes one-timers from the right flank on the powerplay.
Clip 1 (Frondell Powerplay Assist): Clip one shows a great fake one-timer that is a cross-ice pass (think about the Voracek and Giroux pass from back in the day). This shows that he’s not just thinking shoot every time but he’s quickly scanning for the best option.
Clip 2 (Frondell Powerplay Bumper): This is a goal Frondell scored in the bumper position on the power play. A lot of guys can be very stagnant in the bumper, not really active or moving, almost just an automatic decoy that the defensemen have to pay attention to but we all know it’s not going there. Frondell, on the other hand, is all over the place engaging in battles, trying to push off of him so he has free space, and eventually drives the net for a redirection/rebound. Another great play that shows off his goal-scoring versatility.
Clip 3 & 4 (Frondell Powerplay): I promise you these are not the same clip on repeat. While they’re from the same game, we get a good glimpse of how Frondell doesn’t just shoot the one-timer blindly every time. He does a great job of faking it in the first clip, getting the goalie to drop before wiring home a wrister above the goalie’s shoulder. The second clip here he does the same thing, only this time the goalie doesn’t bite on the fake one-timer and he still finds a way to score.
Section 4 – Playmaking Vision: Creating for Teammates
In these four clips, we’re going to look at how Frondell gets his primary assists. We see shooting for rebounds, protecting the puck, and a little saucy action to spring a guy on the breakaway.
Clip 1 (Frondell PP Assist): Classic Frondell one-timer that leads to Eklund burying a rebound goal. On the power play right off the faceoff, the NHL is going to see a lot of this regardless of where he ends up.
Clip 2 (Frondell Assist Puck Protection): When Frondell is playing against weaker competition, we see a lot of his ability to use his edges and size to protect the puck from defenders, and in this case, he has probably the easiest assist of all time.
Clip 3 (Frondell Sauce): Get ready to see this clip on draft night. This sauce pass into an area letting his teammate skate right into it definitely helps the narrative that he’s more of a two-way center and not just a straight-line speed goal scorer.
Clip 4 (Frondell Asssit Sweden): Again, when Frondell is playing against his peers and not grown men, we see him effortlessly gain speed, split the defenders, and create a 2-on-0 from the hashmarks for an easy assist that makes it look way too easy.
Section 5 – Room to Grow: Defensive Awareness and Battles
Now is where I’m going to be the most nitpicky and show some goals where you can either blame him directly or where you want to see a little more effort on a play. Again, you can do this with every player, but I think it’s fair to show clips where he’s not just scoring goals and making defenders look silly.
Clip 1 (Frondell Goal Against): This one is tough because Frondell, as the winger, is looking to defend the point. However, when you have three men behind the goal line, you need to protect the front of the net first and foremost. He identifies the forward, and that tells the defensemen that he doesn’t need to cover him. This is really just a lack of communication between the two of them, and it ends in a goal against.
Clip 2 (Frondell Soft Battle): While this goal is not his fault, I wanted to point out that this opposing forward just easily wins this battle to the front of the net. If there was a rebound, Frondell’s man is definitely going to score it. You’d like to see a tougher effort of keeping a guy away from driving the net.
Clip 3: Frondell, #14, is at the bottom of the screen and starts doing the right thing by attacking the puck carrier who is coming in on a 3-on-3. This is a classic surf out, and by at least applying pressure, it allows the D-man to step up easily and take the puck away. As soon as he’s about to engage, he backs off. He then just kind of skates backwards as if he’s a defender, puck watching, and both he and the winger miss the trailer option who comes in untouched to finish off the rebound. Not the best play by any means and one he probably heard about in the film session.
Clip 4: Frondell is the man in the high slot who gets baited into thinking a shot is coming. The puck carrier immediately gives a little head fake, skates right around Frondell (who is flat-footed), and takes an easy shot from the top of the circle that the goalie can’t see due to traffic in front. This is another one that falls right on Frondell.
Prospect Summary
Looking at Anton Frondell’s game, what jumps out immediately is his offensive versatility. This isn’t a one-dimensional player who can only score from the right flank or only excels on the power play. We’ve seen his ability to score in multiple ways: battling in corners, finding soft ice, shooting from the slot, and utilizing deception to create space for his deadly one-timer.
What impressed me most is his hockey IQ – the way he reads plays developing, identifies defensive weaknesses, and makes quick decisions based on what he sees. That shoulder check in the neutral zone before the quick release goal is exactly the kind of small detail that separates good prospects from great ones.
Playing against men in HockeyAllsvenskan has clearly helped his development. While he looks physically dominant against his peers, competing professionally has forced him to rely more on his intelligence and skill rather than just overpowering opponents. That said, the defensive clips highlight where his game still needs work. There are moments of indecision and positioning issues that will need addressing, especially as he faces even tougher competition.
If the Flyers grab him at 6th overall, they’d be getting a highly skilled forward with translatable offensive tools who’s already proven himself against professional competition. Would he be my top choice? We’ll see after reviewing the other prospects, but Frondell definitely has the tools to become an impact NHL player who could complement the Flyers’ existing young talent core.
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