Forward notched 42 points (19G, 23A) in 61 regular-season games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL)

The Toronto Maple Leafs owned this first-round pick and sent it to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of a February 27, 2023, trade that sent Sam Lafferty, Jake McCabe, a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 and 2025 to Toronto in exchange for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, a second-round pick in 2026 and a conditional draft pick.

The Chicago Blackhawks kicked off their night by selecting Anton Frondell with the third overall pick. That ended a conversation that had been a debate ever since the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery results were revealed.