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Red Wings’ perfect trade offer for Blues’ Justin Faulk
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- Red Wings’ perfect trade offer for Blues’ Justin Faulk
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The Detroit Red Wings are near the top of the Eastern Conference midway through January. At this point, it would take an epic collapse for Detroit to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026. This is a team that's quite familiar with collapsing in the months of February and March. However, they've been able to avoid extended stretches of poor play for the most part this year.
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The Red Wings are an imperfect team , and the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline provides an opportunity for them to add some needed reinforcements. General manager Steve Yzerman has been reluctant to be aggressive at the deadline in years past. However, that could certainly change this season.
One potential move that was recently floated was a trade for St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk. The veteran rearguard is signed through the end of next season, making him more than a rental. The Athletic's Max Bultman was a fan of this move, as he wrote about recently.
"(Faulk is) 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," Bultman wrote.
With the idea floated, let's take a look at a trade offer the Red Wings could make to bring the veteran rearguard to Hockeytown.
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Full Justin Faulk trade offer
In this scenario, the Red Wings would acquire Justin Faulk from the Blues with no salary retention. In return, St. Louis would acquire prospect forward Max Plante, a conditional 2026 second-round pick, and an unconditional 2028 fourth-round pick. If the Red Wings won a playoff series this year and Faulk played in 50% of the games, the second-rounder would become a 2026 first-round pick.
Red Wings add needed defensive depth
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Red Wings have a few different needs they could look to address this year. Detroit could certainly use more scoring depth. And its depth on the wings in the top-six is looking a bit rough. However, the team's most pressing need at this time is a top-four defenseman.
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Detroit will be losing some defenders to free agency this summer. Ben Chiarot is headed to the open market, as are Erik Gustafsson and Travis Hamonic. Gustafsson may not last the season with the Red Wings , but the team is going to need depth on the back end.
As Bultman pointed out, Detroit has some young defensemen in the NHL outside of their main duo of Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider. Axel Sandin-Pellikka has received looks on the second pairing this year. He's shown flashes of promise, but he does look a bit overwhelmed, especially on the forecheck and backcheck.
Faulk can contribute at both ends of the ice. He provides offensive value, as he is currently tied for the Blues' team lead with 11 goals this year. However, he can also handle his own defensively. The veteran rearguard is the sort of stabilizing presence Detroit needs at this time.
Bringing Faulk to Detroit allows Sandin-Pellikka and Albert Johansson to play protected minutes in the postseason. It also gives them a boost next season when their defense could look vastly different without Chiarot and the others. It would be a smart in-season move for Yzerman to make.
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Blues restock pipeline with surging prospect
The Blues did not want to be in this position when the season started. They made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year, nearly eliminating the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets . However, they have not played their best hockey in 2025-26. And it's likely going to force some unfortunate decisions.
This trade pitch for Justin Faulk sees the Blues land an intriguing prospect in Max Plante. The former second-round pick has been seen as a bit of a boom-or-bust prospect in recent seasons. This year, the pendulum has swung firmly into "boom" territory. The Minnesota-Duluth star has been one of the best performers in college hockey in 2025-26.
Plante performs well under pressure, and it even seems to make him more effective. He is an exceptionally creative passer, fitting pucks through unbelievable windows and generating scoring chances for his teammates. This year, he's also shown an improved ability to score goals. He has 19 goals in 22 games for Minnesota-Duluth this year.
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The Red Wings could be hesitant to part with a first-round pick, which brings the need for a conditional selection. Either way, the Blues end up with two draft picks and a very intriguing prospect who could find himself playing top-six minutes in St. Louis down the line. Whether they embrace a full rebuild or not, the Blues would get good value out of Faulk in this deal.
Related: Early Ondrej Palat destinations before 2026 NHL Trade Deadline
Related: NHL rumors: Maple Leafs linked to Devils' Dougie Hamilton
