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The Detroit Red Wings are expected to be buyers ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. Although the team is hovering near the top of the Atlantic Division, it has various issues. Detroit is currently 17th in the NHL in scoring and 13th in goals allowed per game. The mediocre statistics show that the club can improve before heading to the playoffs.

GM Steve Yzerman will be looking at both sides of the puck when assessing his roster in the coming weeks. While bringing in an additional forward is certainly possible, the more likely move, particularly involving a star player, is along the blue line. Detroit has allowed more goals so far this season than most of the Eastern Conference teams in a playoff position.

The Red Wings have been linked with several defensemen in recent weeks. This lengthy list includes Dougie Hamilton, Filip Hronek, and Logan Stanley. They were also interested in Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Andersson before they ultimately joined other teams. The Athletic’s Max Bultman is now adding St. Louis Blues star Justin Faulk to the mix.

According to the Red Wings beat writer, Faulk is an “ideal fit” in Detroit. The veteran blueliner is currently third on his team in points, second in blocks, and third in takeaways. The mixture of offense and defense would give the Red Wings exactly what they need at the moment. At 33, Faulk would also provide some leadership to a relatively young Detroit team.

Red Wings Could Easily Handle Justin Faulk’s Current Contract

GettyJustin Faulk could give Detroit an offensive and defensive boost.

Along with Faulk’s ability on the ice, his current contract would also work in Detroit. The veteran is earning an AAV of $6.5 million and signed through the 2026-27 season. According to PuckPedia.com, the Red Wings have some of the most current cap space in the entire league.

Not only can Detroit easily take on Faulk’s salary, but his term would appease Yzerman. The exec prefers to make bold moves via trade with players under contract beyond the current campaign. This was evident in the team’s negotiations for Hughes. Because Faulk would not be a rental, Yzerman would likely be more interested in a potential deal.

An agreement, however, could be difficult. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently revealed that the Blues have set a high asking price on their star. In fact, St. Louis is looking for a similar return for Faulk that the Calgary Flames received for Andersson. The Las Vegas Golden Knights acquired the defenseman for Zach Whitecloud, a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and prospect Abram Wiebe.

Red Wings Have a Plethora of Young Talent to Deal

It remains to be seen if Yzerman will want to give up such a haul for Faulk. This is especially considering that the Blues star is four years older than Andersson. Nevertheless, Detroit does have a top prospect pool to work with. The Athletic even claimed that the Red Wings are “in the driver’s seat when it comes to assets to move.”

Detroit’s need to bring in a blueliner was amplified with Simon Edvinsson’s recent injury. The defenseman has been ruled out until after the Olympic break by head coach Todd McLellan. Although the club has temporary reinforcements in place, acquiring a player like Faulk would certainly ease concerns.

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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