The Detroit Red Wings would indeed benefit from the addition of another right-handed defenseman; however, such a move must come at a reasonable cost.
Justin Faulk, a Stanley Cup champion with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and a consistently reliable presence throughout much of his career, represents a player of legitimate pedigree. Yet the trade proposal currently circulating—Detroit parting with Justin Holl, Max Plante, and a second-round draft selection in exchange for Faulk—appears ill-conceived without significant modification.
From an evaluative standpoint, the cost to the Red Wings is disproportionate to the value received, thereby rendering the transaction inadvisable in its current form.
Blues win the trade easily
With the offseason acquisition of Travis Hamonic, Holl projects primarily as a depth defenseman, thereby mitigating the significance of his inclusion in a potential deal for Faulk. The more consequential piece in such a transaction is 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’s profile is that of a modern two-way forward with star potential. His offensive pedigree is particularly notable: he has consistently produced at a point-per-game pace, tracing back to his high school career, a metric that underscores both consistency and scalability in his game.
Entering his sophomore campaign at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Plante is building on a freshman season in which he tallied 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists) across 23 appearances—production that positions him among the more efficient underclassmen in NCAA Division I hockey.
What distinguishes Plante further is not merely his statistical output but his underlying hockey intelligence. The Red Wings’ 2024 second-round selection demonstrates an advanced tactical awareness, functioning as a cerebral playmaker who elevates the performance of those around him. At just 19 years old, his developmental ceiling remains exceptionally high, suggesting the potential for an eventual top-six NHL role.
Thus, while Holl’s departure in a Faulk-centered transaction would be largely negligible given Detroit’s current depth on defense, the loss of Plante would represent a far more substantive sacrifice. In organizational terms, such a move would exchange veteran stability for the risk of forfeiting a cornerstone player in the team’s future core.
The Colorado Avalanche recently pulled that off when they traded then-top prospect Calum Ritchie to the New York Islanders in exchange for Brock Nelson and prospect William Dufour, along with a conditional first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick.
Colorado was eliminated in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and ended up re-signing Nelson to a multi-year contract extension in the offseason, which analysts argued was a massive overpay.
There’s a growing school of thought that acquiring Faulk could be the final push that solidifies Detroit's playoff position. But that line of reasoning presupposes a premise that may no longer be relevant: that the Red Wings need help just to get in.
In reality, Detroit is trending toward playoff contention with or without Faulk. The question, then, is not whether Faulk gets them into the postseason, but whether he materially increases their odds of making a deep run — potentially to the Stanley Cup Final.
On paper, Faulk offers intangibles that carry weight in the postseason: leadership, experience, and a steady presence on the blue line. For a roster rich with emerging talent, those are non-trivial assets. His voice in the locker room and composure under pressure could serve as a stabilizing force for a team that is still learning how to win in high-stakes environments.
However, if we shift the focus from narrative to numbers, the case becomes less compelling
Faulk’s performance has declined across virtually every statistical category over the past two seasons. His puck possession metrics, point production, and defensive zone impact have all trended downward.
The more pressing issue lies not in the personnel exchange but in the financial dimension of the proposed deal. Faulk’s $6.5 million cap hit, extending through the 2026–27 season, represents a considerable burden for a defenseman whose play no longer reflects top-four caliber production.
It is precisely this decline in value that explains why St. Louis has reportedly been exploring trade avenues for his contract. Once an organization determines that a veteran asset no longer provides adequate return on investment, the logical strategy is to move that contract while seeking a player who is “green”—that is, a developing athlete whose raw talent is evident but whose experience at the highest level remains limited.
Max Plante as previously noted, embodies this archetype. His combination of skill, vision, and youth makes him a highly attractive acquisition for a team such as the Blues, who are attempting to replenish their future core while shedding costly commitments. In this context, the proposed transaction is less about Detroit fortifying its present roster than it is about St. Louis securing a top prospect with long-term upside.
Proponents of the trade frame it as a pragmatic step for the Red Wings: a short-term gain designed to accelerate their path toward Stanley Cup contention. Yet such optimism may be misplaced.
The argument advanced here is that this move is unlikely to deliver the immediate championship-caliber impact its advocates suggest. Rather, it risks mortgaging meaningful future assets—most notably Plante’s potential—for what may ultimately be a marginal improvement in the present.
A no-go
Ultimately, the decision to trade for Faulk boils down to opportunity cost. Are the Red Wings willing to sacrifice future flexibility — including a second-round pick and a promising prospect like Plante — for the hope that Faulk can squeeze out one or two more high-level years?
Or is it wiser to let their emerging core grow organically, preserving cap space and assets for a potentially more impactful addition down the line?
From Detroit’s perspective, the only rational framework for entertaining such a deal would require two non-negotiable conditions: the exclusion of Max Plante from the trade package and the retention by St. Louis of 50 percent of Faulk’s remaining salary obligation.
Anything less would undermine Detroit’s long-term interests. Admittedly, such terms would almost certainly be rejected by the Blues, but that outcome is probably for the best.