The Detroit Red Wings finalized a momentous trade before the NHL trade deadline, acquiring defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues.
In the agreement, the Red Wings sent defenseman Justin Holl, 22-year-old Russian prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, Detroit’s 2026 first-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick that belonged to the San Jose Sharks to the Blues.
Faulk, 33, is in his fifteenth season in the NHL, having played for the Carolina Hurricanes and the Blues. This season, he has 11 goals and 21 assists in 61 games, averaging 22:30 minutes played per game. He is a solid right-handed defenseman who can play many minutes in even-strength situations and contribute on special teams. Faulk is expected to be behind star defenseman Moritz Seider on the Red Wings roster.
Faulk has one year left on his contract, with a cap hit of $6.5 million and a modified no-trade clause. Holl has a salary of $2.25 million against the cap and will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Buchelnikov plays in the KHL and was selected 52nd overall in the 2022 NHL draft by Detroit. He has had a standout season with CSKA Moscow, with 23 points in 38 games.
The Red Wings were notably quiet during the NHL trade deadline, aside from the acquisition of veteran winger David Perron from the Ottawa Senators. It was an important deadline for Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman, who needed to do something significant after team captain Dylan Larkin criticized the team’s lack of activity at the 2025 deadline, saying: “I felt the group didn’t gain any momentum from the trade deadline. The guys were a little down about it.”
Detroit is in third place in the Atlantic Division with 77 points, as it tries to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Right defensemen were in high demand during this NHL trade deadline, which is why the Blues tried to trade star Colton Parayko to the Buffalo Sabres, which he rejected with his no-trade clause, and ultimately traded Faulk to Detroit in an effort to bolster their rebuild.
