The Detroit Red Wings head into the post-Christmas break looking to solidify their footing in the Atlantic Division. With a tough stretch ahead of them, the Wings could use reinforcements to help them weather a tough part of their schedule.

One such reinforcement could come on the blue line, according to a notable Red Wings insider. In a Dec. 27 piece in The Athletic, Max Bultman looked into a key addition Detroit could make to bolster its lineup.

Bultman wrote: “The Red Wings’ biggest need is to deepen their blue line, where their third pair has been a liability. Justin Faulk is playing 23 minutes a night in St. Louis, and you wonder if the veteran could improve his territorial numbers in easier deployment. He’s still productive, has an extra year on his contract (so he’s not just a rental) and could provide more support for Albert Johansson. Plus, he would be a playoff-ready second-pair option, so Detroit can shelter Axel Sandin-Pellikka a bit if the Red Wings make the postseason.”

There are a couple of things to unpack here. First, the Red Wings have a young blue line. Top pairing defenseman Moritz Seider is only 24. Albert Johansson is also 24. Simon Edvinsson is 22. Jacob Bernard-Docker is a bit of a veteran at 25.

As such, the Red Wings could use a solid veteran to stabilize the back end. Justin Faulk achieves that purpose. Moreover, Faulk and all of his 1,000 NHL games can take away the bulk of the pressure from rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Sandin-Pellikka is only 20 and could use a bit of a break from what would be significant pressure in the postseason.

Adding Faulk would likely squeeze one of the Red Wings’ young blueliners out of the lineup. But the overall benefit would be greater in the short term.

Justin Faulk could get pricey for the Detroit Red Wings

So, prying Justin Faulk away from the St. Louis Blues won’t be easy. The Blues will likely want something meaningful in return. The Red Wings have pieces to move. But which piece would Steve Yzerman be willing to sacrifice for Faulk?

As Bultman noted, Faulk has one more year left on his current deal. So, that situation could make it more expensive to land Faulk in a trade. But then again, the Blues can’t really slap a huge price tag on Faulk. The Blues are a rebuilding team. As a result, they must prioritize getting useful pieces to continue building the club.

Ultimately, Bultman’s idea is a solid one. However, I wouldn’t bet on it coming true. The Blues likely see Faulk as a valuable piece on their blue line. Unless the Red Wings, or any other team, wow general manager Doug Armstrong, the betting odds are that Faulk stays put for now.