Red Wings Acquire Defenseman Faulk from Blues

The Detroit Red Wings finally made their big splash of the NHL’s 2026 trade deadline, acquiring defenseman Justin Faulk in a move that was announced after the deadline had actually passed.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have acquired Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Justin Holl, Dmitiri Buchelnikov, Detroit’s 2026 1st round pick and San Jose’s 2026 3rd round pick. pic.twitter.com/vTi304dCvi

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 6, 2026

Such-timed moves are common at the trade deadline, when a backlog of calls forms with the league offices.

Going the other way are a first-round draft pick, a third-round draft pick, prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, and defenseman Justin Holl.

Faulk makes a lot of sense for the Red Wings. He’s a right-shot defenseman who can immediately slot in on Detroit’s second pair, solidifying the defense as the team gears up for a playoff run. He’s also got one year left on his current contract, meaning he’s not a pure rental and can hold down that roster spot alongside Ben Chiarot as Axel Sandin-Pellikka continues to develop under more-sheltered minutes.

I was happier with the cost before I knew that Buchelnikov was included.

To acquire a difference-maker at the deadline, giving up a first-round pick was expected; I don’t love it but it was necessary. The third-round pick is basically what the Red Wings got earlier in the day for Elmer Soderblom, who never really fit in the Detroit lineup. And Holl wasn’t playing in the NHL anyway. So it was basically a first-rounder and a fourth-liner who didn’t fit for some much-needed shoring up of the blueline for this year and next year.

Buchelnikov has some exciting potential and it’s tough to give that up. It’s so each to get attached to prospects, especially during a rebuilt when they’re all the team has.

I still think it’s worth it.

With the Wings having been relatively quiet in the lead-up to the deadline, I was ready to question things. The thought that had been going through my mind was “If not now, when?”

We knew any player acquisition was going to be expensive. It’s going to be expensive this summer, too. And next year. And for the foreseeable future. So if the issue now was cost, when would that ever change?

I think this splits the difference a bit. They didn’t mortgage the future to remake the team but they did spend to shore up some gaps.

Now we’ll see if it works.