Recently, comparisons have emerged regarding the style of play of Swedish center Anton Frondell (1st ranked among European skaters per central scouting) being similar to that of Florida Panthers top center Aleksander “Sasha” Barkov (FLA 2013 1st round, 2nd overall). TSN’s Craig Button has described Frondell as a complete two-way player, much like the three-time Selke award-winning Barkov (NHL’s best defensive forward). That is very high praise for the young man, especially when considering Barkov also has consistently averaged more than a point per game during his career. Frondell has become a proven scorer as well, with 25 points (11G 14A) in 29 games in 2024-25 in Sweden’s 2nd-highest pro league. His point total was the most among U18 junior-aged players in HockeyAllsvenskan.
Frondell already possesses excellent size (6’1″ 205 LBS.) and an NHL shot, but some general managers still have questioned his fitness level. That concern presumably was put to bed at the recent scouting combine, where Frondell finished tied for the best performance in the VO2max, the most grueling endurance test in Buffalo. Combining this level of fitness to his ability to play a heavy game with speed, undoubtedly this performance solidified his already top-of-the-class draft status.