Anton Frondell makes sense for the Chicago Blackhawks if 1st pick is not in the top 2

With the NHL regular season having come to an end, rebuilding teams are marking their calendars for the upcoming draft lottery to see where their pick lands.

The Chicago Blackhawks currently have the second-best odds in the draft, same as last season, but can still fall to a lower pick.

The Blackhawks' priority for this draft should be getting another high-end forward prospect to pair with Connor Bedard for the future.

Players such as Frank Nazar have pleasantly brought more hope for the future forward core, but adding another top forward prospect should be addressed.

This year's first forward taken will likely be Michael Misa from the OHL, who had an exceptional draft year.

However, if the Blackhawks fall out of range to draft Misa, they will need to look elsewhere to find their guy.

Anton Frondell might end up being the guy the Hawks could take.

After being projected as a potential top-five pick going into this season, Frondell had a slow start and saw his draft stock fall. Though, a strong bounce back saw him catch fire in the second half as he has since re-entered the top-five conversation.

Part of the reason Frondell's stock had fallen was due to a knee injury that kept him sidelined from being selected for the World Junior Championships. The young Swede was also struggling to find his game in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest league in the Swedish ice hockey system, and was not playing up to the standard that many had expected from him.

However, Frondell's return from injury saw him look like an entirely different player as everything began to click once again. His began scoring at above a point-per-game rate which led him to end the season with 25 points in 29 games. Those point totals give Frondell a 0.86 points-per-game rate which is very respectable in the Allsvenskan league for an under-18 player. In comparison to Frondell's rate, NHL star David Pastrnak (Boston) ended his under-18 season in the same league with a 0.67 points-per-game rate.

Frondell has added to his strong second half with 7 points in 15 playoff games despite seeing his ice time decrease rapidly through these playoffs, proving that he is worth the extra minutes and can provide a lot more to his current team.

What makes Frondell such an intriguing prospect is his overall game, he brings strong two-way capabilities with a high-level shot that makes him dangerous in the offensive zone.

At 6 feet tall, Frondell does not tower over most with his size, but he plays a big game with a physical edge and is hard to knock off the puck.

It seems as though Frondell's draft stock is back around where it was expected to be at the start of the season, and Scott Powers has reported that the Blackhawks are very big fans of the young centerman. Frondell even has some ties to the Blackhawks as his teammate in Sweden is former Blackhawks center and Stanley Cup champion Marcus Kruger.

While Frondell may not be the exact player fans imagined to be their pick in this year's draft, his arrival would give the team a very versatile center who can be an all-situations type of player in Chicago. Also, him being the future second-line center opens up many possibilities for more young players to switch to the wing or even make additions for wingers either via trade or free agency.

The NHL Draft Lottery date is yet to be announced, but if the Blackhawks may very well be in the market to select Anton Frondell if their pick does end up falling outside of the top two.