Blues' stance on potentially trading Justin Faulk revealed

Add Justin Faulk’s name to the list of players the St. Louis Blues will be open to moving if their season-opening slide continues, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period writes.

It’s far from the first time Faulk’s name has been brought up in trade speculation. For years, each one of the Blues’ aging top-four group on defense was listed as a potential target. That talk has quieted down after St. Louis aggressively retooled their left side in the past couple of seasons, losing Torey Krug to a career-ending injury and waiving Nick Leddy while adding Philip Broberg via offer sheet and Cam Fowler via trade.

Tuesday's report on Faulk is more than just speculation, though. Moving him this season becomes much easier after his no-trade clause was downgraded to a 15-team no-trade list, much like how captain and fellow trade candidate Brayden Schenn’s contract is structured. With just one season left after this one on his deal, his $6.5M cap hit becomes more appealing, too — especially since his actual salary owed is just $4.5M per season.

Faulk and Colton Parayko have each seen relatively equal time with Broberg and Fowler as their partner this season. The two lefties have posted significantly worse possession numbers when paired with Faulk. Broberg has controlled 59.7% of expected goals at 5-on-5 with Parayko compared to 57.7% with Faulk, while Fowler has controlled 53.5% with Parayko and just 40.7% with Faulk.

That will undoubtedly be a concern for more analytically-focused clubs and could steer them away from their interest. However, his traditional stats paint a picture of him being worth the investment for a team in need of a puck-moving righty in their top four. The 33-year-old leads Blues defensemen with eight points in 16 games while averaging 23:32 of ice time per game, the most on the team.

Still, moving Faulk would leave a gaping hole on their right side if they’re anticipating a quick retool and a return to postseason contention in 2026-27. Top righty prospect Logan Mailloux, acquired from the Canadiens over the offseason, is still a long-term wild card thanks to his extreme defensive deficiencies. The 22-year-old has been offensively dominant in the minors and juniors, but has just five points and a -16 rating in 17 career NHL games thus far. He’s likely more than a year out from being ready for a top-four role as a result, and the Blues don’t have any other righties in the system with the two-way utility or upside to give them quality second-pairing minutes behind Parayko.