The Detroit Red Wings took care of a position of need on Friday afternoon, acquiring veteran right-handed defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues.
One of the biggest needs for the Detroit Red Wings was a right-shot defenseman, and they have filled that need in the immediate aftermath of the official passing of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.
The Red Wings have acquired veteran defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues; in return, they've sent the Blues defenseman Justin Holl, 2022 second-round (52nd overall) draft pick Dmitri Buchelnikov, a 2026 1st round pick, and San Jose’s 2026 3rd round pick.
Faulk has played in 61 games this season and has tallied 11 goals with 21 assists, and has also averaged 22:29 of total ice time per game.
Holl, who was in the final season of the three-year deal he signed to join the Red Wings from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023, has yet to appear in an NHL game in 2025-26, having spent the entire campaign playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL.
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A native of South St. Paul, Minnesota, Faulk was selected in the second round (37th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes after having previously played with the Michigan-based USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
He played a single season for the University of Minnesota Duluth before beginning his professional career with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, eventually making his NHL debut with the Hurricanes by playing in 66 games in the 2011-12 season.
He would remain a fixture on Carolina's blue line through 2019 when he was traded to the Blues along with a 2020 fifth-round pick for Joel Edmundson, Dominik Bokk, and a 2021 seventh-round pick.
While with the Blues, Faulk signed a 7-year, $45.5 million contract that carries a salary cap hit of $6.5 million; he is signed through the end of next season.
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