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Could the Red Wings land Justin Faulk with this trade pitch?
The Detroit Red Wings are certainly a team to keep an eye on once the NHL Olympic trade freeze passes later this month. With the Red Wings being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference at this stage of the season, there is a clear expectation that they will be buyers at the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
The St. Louis Blues, on the other hand, are standing out as prime sellers for the deadline. After entering the season with high expectations, the Blues are currently at the bottom of the Central Division standings with a 20-28-9 record and 49 points. They have also lost eight out of their last 10 games.
With the Blues struggling so significantly this season, several of their players have been discussed in the rumor mill over the last few months. One of them is veteran defenseman Justin Faulk, as the Blues are open to listening to trade offers for the 33-year-old. With the Red Wings’ blueline needing a boost, he is a player they should seriously consider pursuing.
Due to this, we here at Heavy Sports have a trade pitch that has the Blues sending Faulk to the Red Wings in a big splash.
Red Wings Get:
Blues Get:
2026 First-Round Pick
2027 Fourth-Round Pick
William Wallinder
Justin Faulk Is Prime Trade Candidate for the Blues
With the Blues being open to making moves, Faulk has been creating plenty of chatter as a trade candidate. Due to this, the South St. Paul, Minnesota native was recently included on NHL insider Chris Johnston’s latest trade board for The Athletic, where he was given the No. 12 spot.
“The kind of low-maintenance veteran that contenders typically covet at the deadline, Faulk remains a consistent and durable player and is logging more than 22 minutes per night in his 15th NHL season. Known as a stout five-on-five defender who chips in a bit offensively, he generally keeps things steady,” Johnston wrote.
When noting that the Red Wings’ right side could use a major boost, Faulk is exactly the kind of defenseman that they should consider making a push for. The 2010 second-round pick has shown that he can still produce strong offense from the point this season, as he has recorded 11 goals and 30 points in 57 games. With numbers like these, he could slot wonderfully on the Red Wings’ second pairing and power play if acquired.
Red Wings Looking to Add Right-Shot Defenseman With Term
During a recent episode of TSN Insider Trading, Darren Dreger reported that the Red Wings are interested in acquiring a right-shot defenseman with term.
“They are looking for a No. 2 center. Again, a player with term, and, preferably, a right-shot defenseman, again, with term,” Dreger said.”
Faulk fits this description perfectly, as the right-shot blueliner has a $6.5 million cap hit until the end of next season. With this, he would help the Red Wings beyond this season, which undoubtedly adds to his appeal.
It will be interesting to see if the Red Wings end up being the team that lands Faulk, but the fit looks very good on paper.
Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa
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