Rumors regarding the Detroit Red Wings have become all but normal over the last week. Between baseless speculation on Dylan Larkin and trade proposals for Alex DeBrincat, it seems like there's another fan-made trade idea every single day with these two.
But the Red Wings have another high-end player they can offer up for more.
Why Justin Faulk is an ideal trade candidate
Oft-overlooked and never doubted, Justin Faulk is a perfect candidate for a mid-season deal. Faulk, 34, has just one season left on his deal making $6.25M. Last season, he finished his brief time in Detroit with eight points in 17 games. He finished fourth among all Red Wings in goals scored since the trade deadline, leading all Red Wings defensemen in both goals in that timeframe.
Faulk averaged 20:15 a night -- fourth among Red Wings players behind just Ben Chiarot, Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider. Faulk has 1,078 career regular season games under his belt and an additional 45 playoff games to boot.
Contending teams - especially teams around the trade deadline - are always on the hunt for defensive upgrades. A minute-munching playoff veteran defenseman is exactly the kind of player teams hope to acquire before going on a run.
There's certainly a precedent for this, as well: just a few seasons ago, the Florida Panthers made a move for Seth Jones of the Chicago Blackhawks. Two seasons back, the Vegas Golden Knights traded for Noah Hanifin. This last season alone, MacKenzie Weegar, John Carlson and, ironically enough, Justin Faulk all went to teams pushing for the playoffs.
Whether it's at the start of the season or the final hour of the trade deadline, there will be many suitors for a player like Faulk.
What a return for Justin Faulk could look like
For those expecting a return similar to what the Red Wings acquire, it might be best to temper expectations. Faulk has yet to play a complete season for the Red Wings, and, as such, might command less than what Detroit paid to acquire him. It's unlikely that another team matches the precedent of a first round pick, third round pick, Dmitri Buchelnikov and Justin Holl.
With that said, however, there's always an opportunity to play on a team's desperation. Injuries are inevitable in the NHL. There will likely come a time where a top-four defenseman on a contending team goes down for an unforeseen period of time. In order to stay in the race, a team may be forced to pull the trigger on a trade.
This is where the new general manager can thrive.
Think about the kind of impression the new sheriff in town could make with a big return on Faulk. Whether it's at the start of the season or somewhere closer to the deadline, there will almost certianly be several suitors on the hunt for a player of Faulk's caliber.
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