Earlier today, the Detroit Red Wings acquired Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a 2026 first round pick, third round pick, Justin Holl and Dmitri Buchelnikov. On paper, trading a prospect and picks for a veteran defenseman with term is a promising addition. With that said, however, the Red Wings now miss out on one of their most exciting forward prospects. Buchelnikov, selected 52nd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, has 23 points in 39 games with his KHL squad CSKA Moskava.
While Buchelnikov had yet to sign his entry level contract with the Red Wings, missing out on a potential NHL impact forward is a disappointment. Buchelnikov, 22, appeared ready to make the NHL leap following this season. Losing the Russian forward along with a first and third round pick for a defenseman with one year left on his contract leaves a little to be desired from this season's trade deadline.
Red Wings trust prospect pool, legendary perspective
Having said that, the Red Wings have a deep enough prospect pool where they can make slightly uncomfortable moves. The forward depth in Detroit's depth chart is full of gems. From de facto Hobey Baker finalist Max Plante to Griffins dynamo Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, there's no shortage of scoring talent in Hockeytown's prospect pool. Perhaps the front office saw Buchelnikov as a "good to have" asset, but couldn't find a spot on the roster for him moving forward.
Earlier today, Red Wings legend Sergei Fedorov scouted a CSKA Moskava game on behalf of the Red Wings. There's a chance Fedorov gave the final say on whether or not the team should keep Buchelnikov. Whether or not Yzerman was influenced by Fedorov's perspective is anyone's guess, but it can't be coincidence that he was at Buchelnikov's game the day the trade occurred.
Faulk (presently) brings more to Red Wings than Buchelnikov could
The thing about prospects is that they can become anything. There's a chance Buchelnikov becomes the next Nikita Kucherov. There's also a chance he could be the next Filip Zadina. While Buchelnikov has shown some scoring talent at the KHL level, it's hard to tell how well that will translate on NHL ice. Plus, there was no guarantee that Buchelnikov would sign with the Red Wings.
As of right now, Justin Faulk brings more to the Red Wings than Buchelnikov could. That, again, isn't to say that Buchelnikov wouldn't birng more down the road: this is more about what can be done in the immediate future. There is an alternate universe where Buchelnikov joins the Red Wings in 2026-27. But there's no telling whether or not an NHL rookie would be an immediate impact the way Faulk will be for this roster.
Time will tell whether or not this trade ages well for the Red Wings.