For the second time in the Steve Yzerman era, the Detroit Red Wings traded a first round pick to bolster the roster. It was clear by February 2026 that the Red Wings needed extra defensive help. Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson were fantastic, but it was clear Detroit was a one pairing team. While Axel Sandin-Pellikka showed potential at his young age, there were obvious signs that he needed some extra seasoning to be an effective NHLer.
The bottom pairing of Albert Johansson and Jacob Bernard-Docker wasn't terrible, either, but neither defender was capable of playing on the first or second pairing. Ben Chiarot was perfectly fine for what he was, but it was clear he needed some extra help, as well.
Thus the Justin Faulk trade came into fruition.
How Faulk performs next season - and whether or not Dmitri Buchelnikov makes it to the NHL - will affect how people view the trade in the future. This move will either go down as one of Yzerman's smarter moves, or it'll be one of the biggest blunders he's made in his tenure.
Fortunately, the latter seems unlikely, as the first round pick the Red Wings sent remains at 15th overall as opposed to a top-five pick. Still, what can the Red Wings expect from their 34-year-old veteran defender?
Faulk brought offensive acumen, stability to lineup
Axel Sandin-Pellikka showed brief glimpses of aggressive offensive play early in the season. But when that production fell off, the team suffered as a result. Faulk brought extra scoring from the back end to the roster, finishing his brief tenure in Detroit with five goals and eight points in 17 games with the Red Wings. Had he played a full season in Hockeytown, his 16 goals would have led all defensemen and been fifth among all skaters.
Fifth. With 16 goals.
If that doesn't scream a need for more offense, it's hard to say what would.
A full season of Faulk should work wonders for Detroit's offensive capability. Still, at 34 years of age, it's hard to know whether or not he can keep up with his half a point per game season he put together in 2025-26. If he can, that extra oomph might be just what Detroit needs to make their way to the promised land of the playoffs.
But that "if" can only get you so far.
Faulk struggled defensively with Chiarot
There's an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed: Chiarot and Faulk's defensive metrics. While The Athletic reported that Faulk and Chiarot were deployed as the "shutdown line", it's clear neither defenseman was up to the task. Chiarot is a low-event, physical defender, while Faulk is the kind of player that bolsters his teammates' offense. They put up impressively low offensive and defensive numbers when together, often finding themselves on the receiving end of an untimely goal or two.
In order to effectively deploy Faulk - and, by extension, Chiarot - they Red Wings need to figure out how to play to each defender's strength. What (and how) they do will affect how each player is perceived in the near future.
At least the Red Wings have a whole season to figure it out.
Grade: B-
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