Rumor: NHL GM talking to rival teams, needs to move defenseman right now!

While there have been rumors surrounding the Anaheim Ducks defensive core, and how it seems inevitable that the Ducks must make a trade prior to the expansion draft, the rumors have now really heated up.

From The Fourth Period:

Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray is believed to have started talking with other teams about moving defenseman Sami Vatanen.

Vatanen, 25, has three-years left on his contract, which comes with an annual salary cap hit of $4.875 million.

The window for Murray to make such a move is extremely limited with the expansion draft set to take place on June 18th, so it makes a lot of sense that Murray would feel a sense of urgency to get this deal done.

There are now however two huge questions that linger here, who will trade for Vatanen and, perhaps more importantly, how much will the major shoulder surgery he just had impact his trade value?

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While teams will have plenty of tape to look at if they want to project Vatanen could mean to their team, the fact that he has undergone a surgery that could keep him out until December will be a massive red flag for most NHL organizations. Not only will he be delayed in his preparation for the season, but there's always questions about a full recovery when an injury is this serious.

As for the teams potentially involved, the Toronto Maple Leafs had both head coach Mike Babcock and general manager Lou Lamoriello scouting the series between the Ducks and the Nashville Predtors. Additionally the Fourth Period is reporting that the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning are all teams that have previously shown interest in a trade for Vatanen.