3 Potential Trade Destinations for Blues' Justin Faulk

The St. Louis Blues are once again near the bottom of the Western Conference, and GM Doug Armstrong is going to have no choice but to shake up the core of his roster. Veteran defenceman Justin Faulk is one of the Blues players who is expected to be traded at some point this season.

Faulk, 33, has one season left on his contract at $6.5 million AAV, and owns a 15-team no-trade list. Through 20 games this season, the mobile right-handed blueliner has 10 points, and is playing heavy minutes for the Blues in all situations.

Chris Johnston of The Athletic recently highlighted Faulk as a trade candidate, and is expecting to see a deal come to fruition at some point as the struggles continue in St. Louis. 

A prototypical professional with 1,000 NHL games already under his belt, Faulk is playing more than 23 minutes per night in his 15th season. He is a stout five-on-five defender who chips in a bit offensively and generally keeps things steady. He is also a right shot capable of playing both sides of the ice. As an added bonus, his contract was front-loaded, which means he’s owed less in actual cash than his actual cap hit now that he’s down to the final two seasons on it.

Faulk has been linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning. All three teams are looking for a top-four defenceman, and Faulk easily fits the bill, and is arguably the best defender available, especially one that can play on both sides of the puck.

Faulk joins Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich as the Blues players who are drawing the most trade interest from other teams. Goaltender Jordan Binnington is also going to receive some trade interest, as the Blues have Joel Hofer waiting in the wings to take over as the starter long term.

Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images