The Detroit Red Wings beat the buzzer and traded for one of the top defensemen on the market. The team announced that Detroit acquired defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Justin Hole, unsigned draft choice Dmitry Buchelnikov, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick.
Faulk had a strong year with St. Louis and will move to the second line behind Mo Sider and Simon Edvinsson. The 33-year-old defenseman has scored 11 goals and provided 21 assists in 61 games. Faulk’s defense was more important than his offensive production with the Blues during the 2025–26 NHL season.
The three-time All-Star defenseman has a cap hit of $6.5 million with a season and a half remaining on his contract. Detroit was forced to give up a first-round pick and a third-round pick, but acquired the pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins after shipping out Elmer Soderblom. Hall had an expendable contract, while Buchelnikov’s NHL status is unclear.
Detroit’s players and coaches had the opportunity to advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Faulk and David Perron represent the rewards of the Red Wings’ strong play during the 2025-26 NHL season. A top-4 right-handed shooting defenseman was Detroit’s biggest need, and Faulk would be a perfect fit.
Detroit retained its highly prized prospects, giving the organization more flexibility moving forward. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman finally made a much-needed trade to push this team towards the playoffs. Faulk will share the second line with Ben Chiarot, giving Detroit two amazing defensive pairings.
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