Justin Faulk was traded to the Detroit Red Wings by the St. Louis Blues on Friday for Justin Holl, a first- and third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and forward prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov.
The 33-year-old defenseman had 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 61 games for the Blues this season.
Faulk is in the sixth season of a seven-year, $45.5 million contract ($6.5 million average annual value) he signed with St. Louis on Sept. 24, 2019, and can become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
Selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round (No. 37) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Faulk has 490 points (141 goals, 349 assists) in 1,041 regular-season games for the Hurricanes and Blues and 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 45 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"I like to play strong, try and win my battles and move pucks north, and it's a grind this time of year, to get in the playoffs, and then when you're in the playoffs, that's the hockey I like to play," Faulk said on Sunday. "I like to play physical, be hard to play against, and then like I said, if I get the puck, try and go north, give it to the forwards and let them do their thing. They're a lot better than we are as the defensemen, skating with it and making plays. So move it up and just try to be consistent, be steady, and tough to play against."
