Should Anton Frondell play center or wing?

Anton Frondell has been one of the few bright spots for this Chicago Blackhawks team during this tough late-season stretch. Coming off last night's embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, Frondell's strong performance at least left Chicago fans with something as he amassed his first career multi-goal game in the NHL.

Frondell has now recorded three goals and five assists in his nine games played with the Blackhawks so far. You would not think he is an 18-year-old rookie; with the way he has performed, he has the appearance of a seasoned veteran in the show. One has to think Frondell will be one of the favorites to win the 2027 Calder trophy next season.

One question mark with Frondell is which position he should play on this team. While he is a natural centerman, he also has the ability to play the wing. What spot would be better for him and this Blackhawks squad?

Should Frondell play center or wing?

 During last year's NHL entry draft, regarding answering this question. Frondell stated in response: "Whatever Connor doesn't play, I'll play."

There were questions last season about whether Connor Bedard would truly be a number-one center for this club. There were clear defensive deficiencies in his game and troubles at the faceoff dot that raised the question of whether he might be better suited to play on the wing, like Patrick Kane.

However, this year Bedard has shown he can absolutely be that centerpiece up front as he has not only enjoyed a much more productive season offensively, but has made considerable strides with respect to his all-around game. Although he still has areas to improve.

So, this would mean Frondell would play on the wing in that scenario. From day one, before he had even suited up for Chicago, Frondell understood his role in this organization as the number-two wingman behind the franchise player, Bedard.

The logic makes sense. Bedard has been waiting for that elite linemate to complement him throughout his three year Chicago stint as he has gone through a roulette of wingers no where near his level. Frondell has all the tools in his arsenal to be the Robin to Bedard's Batman. He is strong on the forecheck, wins puck battles along the boards, and has a potent one timer for a guy of Bedard's playmaking caliber to be able to feed with ease.

With that said, while Frondell on the wing would be best for Bedard, would it be best for him and the Blackhawks in the long term? When the Blackhawks are once again a playoff-contending team, it would be logical to separate Bedard and Frondell to create a more balanced attack. It has been proven that, come playoff time, it is crucial to have a dangerous center core down the middle.

Jeff Blashill's philosophy seems more aligned with playing Frondell at center, as he has been utilized there more than at the wing amid this end-of-season run. However, in the present, does it not make more sense to prioritize building chemistry with your core forward pieces rather than this experimentation? With Bedard and Frondell as your top two offensive weapons, giving them time to develop a connection should be prioritized right now.

Moreover, it is not just Frondell and Bedard who are a part of this equation, but Frank Nazar as well. With Bedard and Frondell as the 1-2 center combo for now, would it not make more sense to move Nazar to the wing so he can play alongside those two in the top six as opposed to being the third line center? Would a more defensive, shutdown-oriented player, such as Ryan Greene, be a better option as the 3C?

If Blashill doesn't want to play Bedard and Frondell together, fine. But there is no reason a player of Nazar's skill should be buried in the bottom six with Andre Burakovsky on his wing. Again, when Chicago is back in the playoffs and you want to create a top nine that is dangerous to play against then you can think about Nazar as your 3C. This is not the time for that; the Blackhawks are still in the midst of a rebuild, and developing synergy among your core players of the future should be more important.

All these are questions that will continue to be pondered as Blashill and the coaching staff try to find what combinations will be most effective for this team moving forward. In the meantime, it is encouraging to see Frondell have success at both positions. This is a good problem to have, as it gives this group options to work with that will come in handy when these games have stakes again.