The Boston Bruins are looking to bolster the blue line with a right-shot defenseman; do they commit premium assets to make the move?

According to Jimmy Murphy of RG.org, Bruins GM Don Sweeney is “one of multiple NHL general managers who have kicked the tires on acquiring” 33-year-old defenseman Justin Faulk. This does not come as a complete shock, as the Bruins were also trying to acquire right-handed defenseman Rasmus Andersson just last month.

“They have been talking for a while now,” a source told Murphy. 

The Canadiens, Sabres, Red Wings, Stars, and Mammoth have also reportedly expressed interest in his services.

Ahead of the Olympic break, Darren Dreger said that the Blues had high prices for their trade chips. Teams are well aware of that and will wait for prices to come down. A recent article from The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford discussed plans for the Blues at the trade deadline; Blues GM Doug Armstrong is not “willing to accept pennies on the dollar.” 

Faulk’s current contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, and it comes with a $6.5 million salary cap hit. The Bruins, according to PuckPedia, are expected to have $3.98 million of cap space at the trade deadline. Any deal would require either salary retention from the Blues or a player moving off the Bruins’ roster.

The Bruins are in a playoff spot at the Olympic break, and according to Murphy’s report, they are leaning toward buying at the trade deadline.

Should the Bruins pursue a trade with the Blues for Justin Faulk?

WHY THEY SHOULD

The Bruins have been in reported trade talks twice over the past month. To draw conclusions, Sweeney is looking for a right-handed defenseman. 

Murphy’s source added that Sweeney is “not going to sell the future.” 

Faulk provides some offensive upside to the blue line. He leads Blues defensemen in goals (11), assists (19), points (30), and power play points (9). He is a minus-3, and averages 22:29 of ice time per game – the second most on the Blues’ roster. His 11 goals are eighth among defensemen in the NHL. 

The Bruins’ defensemen have combined for 22 goals this season. Faulk has half of that amount by himself. 

Andrew Peeke, who is also a righty, is on an expiring contract. His name has appeared on trade boards this season. Because Peeke is younger and can be extended, he might yield a significant package for the Bruins.

Though not the package that the Blues are looking for.

By bringing in Faulk, Peeke becomes a trade chip. The Bruins have that spot in the lineup locked in for next year. Faulk could slot into the top four and can play with any of Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, or Mason Lohrei – if he is not in a package going out. 

WHY THEY SHOULD NOT

He is not Rasmus Andersson. The Blues want an Andersson-like return, according to both Murphy’s report and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. 

Rasmus Andersson was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on January 18. In return, the Flames got a first-round pick, a second-round pick (that could turn into a first), a rostered player, and a prospect. 

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Bruins had a 2027 first-round pick and defenseman Mason Lohrei on the table in the Andersson offer.

Is that package worth it, or even enough in Armstrong’s eyes for Justin Faulk?

Andersson is on an expiring contract; he has not been extended in Vegas, but the option is open. Because Faulk has one year remaining on his contract, the Bruins would have to wait until at least July to offer him an extension.

Faulk turns 34 next month. He will be 35 when his current contract ends. 

The Bruins’ depth on the right side runs thin. Aside from Peeke, Charlie McAvoy, and Henri Jokiharju in the NHL, the Bruins have four defensemen in the system who shoot with their right hand (three with Providence, one with Harvard). Trading for a 33-year-old defenseman can help that in the short term. But if Peeke is moved out, the move only makes the depth chart a few years older. It also makes a right-handed defenseman more of a need for the Bruins at the draft. 

Although he has 11 goals this season, that is his first time hitting that mark since 2022-23, when he had a career-high 50-point season. He had six goals in total during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. 

Faulk fits a need if the Bruins are looking to add a right-handed defenseman at the trade deadline. However, the cost could make this trade unnecessary. Overpaying for term and age would contradict the direction they took a year ago, and it could undermine some of the progress they made last March.

If Armstrong lowers the price, the Bruins should engage. Until then, Sweeney should opt against giving up an Andersson-like return.