3 forwards on Frank Seravalli's free agent board that make sense for the Chicago Blackhawks

Mitch Marner

He is the star forward who could be a true needle-mover in Chicago.

The top player on Seravalli's board is also the player at the top of wish lists from most Blackhawks fans.

Marner has established himself as one of the NHL's most talented wingers and all signs point to him testing the open market on July 1st after nine seasons in Toronto.

Tensions rose last summer after the Maple Leafs lost in the first round once again to the Boston Bruins, a series in which Marner only had 3 points in seven games. The consensus was that Toronto needed a change, and Marner seemed to be who fans wanted to move on from.

Marner's tenure in Toronto will always be met with discussions about the lack of playoff success the team had, with only one series win during his eight appearances in the postseason. However, many have left Toronto in the past and had success elsewhere and Marner will look to join that list.

A true superstar forward, the Ontario native has accumulated 732 points in 650 games in the NHL while also becoming a stellar two-way winger who is a major piece on both special teams units. He has eclipsed the 90-point plateau for the fourth time in his career and continues to chase his first 100-point season.

On paper, the timing seems perfect for both sides as Marner is looking to cash in on a big contract whereas the Blackhawks have no shortage of cap space while also being desperate for a star forward to be one of the faces of the franchise going forward. That thought process would seemingly give the Blackhawks a good pitch to bring Marner on board; but if he wishes to compete for a Stanley Cup right now, then the Blackhawks will have some work to do in terms of convincing him.