Red Wings Give Up a “Holl” for D-Man Justin Faulk

The Detroit Red Wings have landed defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues for quite a “Holl” on Friday. The Red Wings send defenseman Justin Holl, unsigned forward prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, a 1st-round pick, and a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, as per the NHL.com trade tracker.

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Insiders like Darren Dreger (TSN), Elliotte Friedman both also confirmed the deal as it came in just under the deadline wire. The Red Wings receive Faulk (right-shot D, 33 years old, $6.5M AAV through 2026-27—one year left after this season).

This is a big move for Detroit—Steve Yzerman finally goes buyer mode after years of patient rebuilding. The Wings are currently sitting in a playoff spot in the Atlantic, pushing to make a run this season. Faulk will be a big part of that push. He can play big minutes (averages over 22 minutes per game this season), and he brings veteran experience. He’s played 15+ NHL seasons, was a 2019 Cup finalist with Carolina, and has 11 goals, 21 assists, 32 points in 61 games this year.

He’s a solid power play quarterback and solid on the penalty kill. He’ll slot perfectly into their top four to help shelter young guys like Axel Sandin-Pellikka.

For the Blues, they did some house cleaning on Friday. The moved Faulk, but also traded captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders. Not set to make the playoffs, they offload Faulk’s contract and got a first-rounder and multiple other pieces.

Faulk had been in the rumor mill for some time. He was linked to teams like Boston, Montreal, Buffalo, but Detroit was always in the mix.

The Red Wings had cap space to be aggressive and swallow up his $6.5 million deal for this season, and next was not a concern. There is no retention needed.

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