Leafs and Ducks may finally pull trigger on big rumored trade.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks have made several trades in the past and the signs certainly seem to indicate there may be another one on the way.

It's no secret that the Anaheim Ducks have a wealth of talented defensemen, too many in fact to protect them all from the expansion draft., and it's also no secret that the Maple Leafs number one priority in the offseason is to acquire a defenseman.

Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News believes a trade could get done but it will not be with it's complications given the expansion draft process. From Richardson:

The asking price could get tricky. In an ordinary off-season, the Ducks could request a good roster player in return, possibly a left winger such as James van Riemsdyk. The expansion draft, however, could make them unwilling to take back an established player who potentially complicates their expansion draft protection list. 

Given the Leafs depth in draft picks and promising prospects, perhaps they could tempt the Ducks with package of futures that would be exempt from the expansion draft.

Just to give you an idea of how real this is, Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello made no secret of their scouting during the Western Conference Final between the Predators and Ducks.

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As for who the Leafs could be looking to acquire from the Ducks? There has been no word on that front, but Sportsnet's Luke Fox has speculated on one possibility.From Fox:

The Ducks are the perfect trade partner. Babcock needs a right shot for his top four.

Sami Vatanen, 25, offers cost certainty for three years at a $4.875-million cap hit. That price slides nicely between the salaries of Morgan Rielly ($5 million) and Nikita Zaitsev ($4.5 million).