Red Wings Analyst Shuts Down Bold Trade Proposal Involving Expensive Defenseman
Photo credit: Elite Prospects
Analyst Ryan O'Hara of Octopus Thrower is shutting down speculation that the Red Wings could try and acquire Justin Faulk from the former divisional foe St. Louis Blues.
Veteran NHL defenseman Justin Faulk, who is currently with the St. Louis Blues, has been suggested as a trade possibility for the former divisional foe Detroit Red Wings, to be able to add more size to their defensive rotations.
But one analyst is shutting down the idea of trading a prospect for an aging veteran like Faulk.
Why Detroit Shouldn't Sacrifice Max Plante and Picks for a Declining Veteran
Per analyst Ryan O'Hara of Octopus Thrower, a potential acquisition of Faulk isn't what Detroit needs, especially if it means giving up a prospect like Max Plante.
Within the Detroit Red Wings' developmental pipeline, Plante ranks comfortably among the organization's top five prospects, and his long-term potential makes him especially difficult to part with.
Plante, taken with the 47th pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by Detroit, had 28 points (9G, 19A) in 23 games for the University of Minnesota-Duluth last year.
Steve Yzerman has made his philosophy clear that he won't be trading draft picks for veteran players as a "win now" kind of move that could potentially hamper their future successes, and isn't likely to entertain that kind of trade proposal.
Faulk's Contract, Age, and Production Make Him a Risky Fit for the Red Wings
Faulk is getting up there in age in terms of a professional athlete at 33, and there'd be little room for him on Detroit's defense after they recently signed Travis Hamonic.
Not to mention, Faulk has 2 years left on his contract with an AAV (average annual value) of $6.5 million, a term Yzerman likely wouldn't be comfortable with on the surface.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 31 | 341 ANSWERS Red Wings Analyst Shuts Down Bold Trade Proposal Involving Expensive Defenseman Would it be a mistake for Detroit to acquire Justin Faulk? | ||
| Yes | 201 | 58.9 % |
| No | 140 | 41.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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