The Boston Bruins' search for a right-shot defenseman has them focused on Justin Faulk of the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, there's speculation over the Pittsburgh Penguins' plans for the upcoming trade deadline.
The St. Louis Blues have regularly surfaced in the rumor mill this season.
Sitting near the bottom of the standings, they're expected to be sellers by the March 6 NHL trade deadline. Their recent trade of center Nick Bjugstad to the New Jersey Devils was considered the first of what could be multiple deals on their part.
Justin Faulk is among the Blues' veterans who could be playing elsewhere by March 6. The 33-year-old puck-moving, right-shot defenseman is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.5 million. He also carries a 15-team no-trade list.
On Feb. 17, James Murphy of RG.org reported a source claimed the Boston Bruins were among multiple teams believed to be interested in Faulk. He noted that Bruins GM Don Sweeney made a failed attempt last month to acquire Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, only for Andersson to be shipped to the Vegas Golden Knights.
According to Murphy's source, Sweeney has been in discussions with the Blues for about a month. However, the Bruins aren't the only club kicking tires on Faulk, as the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Utah Mammoth are reportedly among the suitors.
All but the Canadiens could use Faulk on their right side of their blueline. The Habs have Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier among their right-shot rearguards, with Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson capable of playing left or right defense.
With $1.7 milion in cap space, the Canadiens would find adding Faulk to be a tight squeeze unless the Blues retain salary. That's assuming they're not on his no-trade list.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins won't be sellers at the deadline as they currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division. Josh Yohe of The Athletic anticipates that GM Kyle Dubas could be a buyer to help his retooling club nail down a playoff spot.
Dubas isn't likely to deal much from his current roster, preferring to maintain the solid chemistry they've developed this season. Yohe anticipates that Dubas would most likely peddle draft picks other than his first-rounders. The Penguins currently have two second-round picks and two third-round picks in each of the next three drafts, plus two fifth-rounders in 2028.
The acquisition of Egor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for little-used winger Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 third-rounder indicates that Dubas seeks younger players who can help his club now and in the future. He could attempt to bundle veteran forward Kevin Hayes or defenseman Ryan Graves with a couple of picks to see what they might fetch.
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