The Detroit Red Wings acquired both David Perron and Justin Faulk at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, and the club is looking forward to what both can accomplish.
There are two new faces with the Detroit Red Wings, though one of them isn't technically new since he's already played two seasons with the team earlier in his career.
GM Steve Yzerman re-acquired forward David Perron, who played in Detroit from 2022 through 2024, from the Ottawa Senators while also picking up defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues.
Ironically, Perron and Faulk previously played together with the Blues before Perron arrived in Detroit in 2022 as a free agent.
The Red Wings are looking forward to what kind of contributions both Perron and Faulk will bring, especially as they've now entered crunch time in the schedule.
"Two veterans that have played for a long time and know how to play, and who have been on some good teams, too," James van Riemsdyk said. "It shows management believes in the group and wants to help us to make the playoffs, but it's up to the group we have now to get the job done."
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Perron still has several teammates from the 2023–24 season, and although head coach Todd McLellan took over behind Detroit's bench for Derek Lalonde in December 2024, months after Perron had already departed for the Ottawa Senators that summer, he is well aware of Perron’s veteran presence and strong hockey IQ.
“The organization and the players who are here know him a lot closer than I would as a coach, but he's been in the League a long time," McLellan said of Perron, whom he coached against several times while with the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings. "He played out west an awful lot in Anaheim, St. Louis, Edmonton. We saw him multiple times, and he's a factor; he's got a really good head for the game, and he's a competitive guy. He drags a lot of players into the mix, if you will. We expect that from him.”
On Friday afternoon, Yzerman explained that Perron was still at least two weeks away from returning after having undergone sports hernia surgery.
“We've got to get him healthy first, which will take a little bit of time," McLellan said. "But I talked to him, and he's very excited about coming back here and trying to help this group."
Like Perron, McLellan has also coached against Justin Faulk on multiple occasions and anticipates the balance and offensive mindset he'll bring to Detroit's blue line.
"A lot of years of playing against him, and (he has) real good legs, good vision," McLellan said of Faulk. "He can eat a lot of minutes up, and has a lot of experience. And he's also got an offensive mind, vision, shot from the blue line in, and we can use that."
Faulk is expected to join the Red Wings in time for their Sunday evening road matchup against the New Jersey Devils.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.