NHL insider urges Maple Leafs to sign 37-year-old Brad Marchand even 'if he costs $8M AAV'

NHL insider Jay Rosehill believes the Toronto Maple Leafs should sign Brad Marchand this summer. Marchand is 37 years old but still playing at a high level. He was traded to the Florida Panthers in March, and since then, he has been the best choice when it comes to playing in high-pressure games. This is something which the Leafs' players have failed to do in the playoffs.

Marchand has scored six goals in five games in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. He has 10 goals and 20 points in 22 playoff games.

On Leafs' "Morning Take," Jay Rosehill said even if Marchand costs $8 million per year, the Leafs should make the move.

"I really have a fair bit of hope for Marchand," Rosehill said. "Look at what he’s doing out there—he’s everywhere. Man, he’s freaking everywhere. Go tell me a guy you could get, I don’t know, even if he costs $8 million—you crunch the numbers and do the math—and look at what he brings to the table.

"Even if it’s just for the next two years, ...He's got the grit, the guts, the tenacity, the compete level, the experience, the veteran leadership—he only knows how to play one way. He doesn’t turn it on; it’s just who he is... He’s proven, over and over again, that he performs unbelievably well at the highest level."

One Maple Leafs forward most likely heading into free agency is Mitch Marner. If he signs with another team, the Maple Leafs will have ample cap space to sign Brad Marchand.

Rosehill believes Marchand could help young Leafs players like Matthew Knies and Easton Cowan.

"I’m all about Brad Marchand, man," Rosehill said. "I don’t care that he’s 37—he’s head and shoulders above every 24-year-old you’re going to find out there."

Brad Marchand could bring the "DNA" change that the Maple Leafs' GM wants

In May, after the team's playoff exit, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said that the team needs a change in "DNA." The Leafs have struggled in the playoffs for years. Signing a player like Marchand could bring leadership and toughness to the locker room, or you can say, a change akin to what Treliving wants.

Marchand has a history of playoff success. He helped the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011. He scored five goals in the finals that year. So, he has a sample size that proves he still has a lot to offer.