The Chicago Blackhawks signed their top draft pick, and we got an update on his plans for next season. Don’t forget, the NHL schedule comes out today at noon, and we’ll have all you need to know about the Blackhawks’ 2025-26 season.

Blackhawks Chirps

The biggest news story on Tuesday was Anton Frondell signing his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks. At the time of the announcement, we still weren’t sure what the upcoming season held for the third-overall pick.

A couple of hours later, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times got confirmation from Frondell’s agent, J.P. Barry, that he will be heading back to Sweden. He’ll spend the 2025-26 season in the Swedish Hockey League with Djurgarden, where he’ll be a teammate of former Blackhawk Marcus Kruger. Their season starts on September 13, so Frondell will miss the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase and training camp. The SHL regular season ends in mid-March, so there is a chance he makes his NHL debut in the spring.

Happy 42nd birthday to Blackhawks legend Duncan Keith! The three-time Stanley Cup winner did it all during his 17 seasons in Chicago. He won two Norris Trophies and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2015. He scored 106 goals and 646 points in 1,256 regular-season games and 19 goals and 91 points in 151 playoff games with the Blackhawks. He will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this November.

NHL Chirps

Frondell wasn’t the only recent draft pick to sign his entry-level deal on Tuesday. The Buffalo Sabres signed defenseman Radim Mrtka, the ninth overall pick from last month’s draft. The Toronto Maple Leafs inked 2024 fifth-round pick Miroslav Holinka to his entry-level contract.

The Utah Mammoth is bringing back forward Michael Carcone on a one-year contract worth $775,000, the league minimum. He’s scored five of his seven career goals against the Blackhawks.

According to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, the Vancouver Canucks are actively working on clearing some salary cap space. Per PuckPedia, they have $795,000 in cap space available. There isn’t a whole lot on that roster, not named Elias Pettersson, that fits what the Blackhawks are doing right now. However, if Dakota Joshua is available, I’d inquire about him. The 29-year-old power forward brings some toughness to the lineup and has scored 36 goals over the last three seasons. He’s signed for three more years with a $3.25 million cap hit.

Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported that Matthew Tkachuk’s injury may need corrective surgery, which could keep him out through the Christmas break. If this is true, he won’t be in the lineup for the Florida Panthers when they host the Blackhawks on opening night.

NHL Birthday Roll Call, July 16: Claude Lemieux, Jyrki Lumme, Nate Schmidt, and Jonatan Berggren.