Faulk dons number 72 for Detroit's blue line. A veteran offensive force, he aims to ignite their playoff push after a significant trade deadline acquisition.
The Detroit Red Wings are in New Jersey on Sunday for an evening matchup with the New Jersey Devils, setting the stage for a memorable night as newly acquired defenseman Justin Faulk is expected to make his debut with the club.
Detroit acquired Faulk with minutes remaining before the NHL trade deadline, adding an offensive defenseman and a much needed right shot to their blue line. The Red Wings sent defenseman Justin Holl, blue chip prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, a 2026 first round pick, and a 2026 third round pick originally belonging to the San Jose Sharks to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for the veteran blueliner.
The South St. Paul, Minnesota native has continued to produce even at age 33 with 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 61 games with St. Louis this season prior to the trade, continuing his long standing reputation as a defenseman capable of contributing offensively while playing heavy minutes.
Across his NHL career, Faulk has been one of the more consistent offensive defensemen in the league. Since entering the NHL after being selected in the second round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, he has appeared in 1,041 career games between the Carolina Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues and now the Red Wings.
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Over the course of his career, Faulk has recorded 141 goals and 349 assists for 490 points while also building a reputation for his physical style of play. The former U.S. National Development program product has established himself as a strong physical presence, registering 1,621 career hits, which ranks 33rd all-time among NHL defensemen, along with 1,426 blocked shots, placing him 57th all-time among defensemen. His track record has shown that he is a reliable secondary scoring option while remaining a dependable two-way presence on the blue line.
Faulk built his reputation during his time in Carolina, where he developed into the Hurricanes' top offensive defenseman and earned three appearances in the NHL All-Star Game in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
He joined St. Louis for the 2019-20 season, one year removed from the Blues historic Stanley Cup win and Faulk became a steady top-four presence, helping log heavy minutes as well as depth scoring.
For the Red Wings, the move signals a clear intention to end their near decade long playoff drought while still avoiding a full sacrifice of future assets. GM Steve Yzerman made it clear he wanted to reward the group for its efforts this season, doing so by adding an experienced and highly capable defender who could help push Detroit’s young roster toward a postseason berth.
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