Hurricanes Trade Justin Faulk to St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues announced Tuesday that they have acquired Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes and then quickly signed the defenseman to a seven-year contract extension worth $45.5 million. With the trade, the Blues are proving that as the defending Stanley Cup Champions, they are not prepared to get comfortable.

St. Louis also picked up a fifth-round draft pick in 2020 while Carolina gets back defenseman Joel Edmundson, prospect Dominik Bokk and a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Faulk, 27, had 85 goals and 258 points with the Hurricanes — club records in both stat categories among defencemen. “We are excited to add Justin to our core group for the next eight years,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said in a statement. “He’s a top-4 defenceman who averages over 23 minutes a game and we are confident he will be a strong addition to our club.”

While Edmundson is a good player, this is being considered a big get for the Blues by most NHL media who are commenting on the trade.

What’s Next for the Blues?

There’s some speculation that the Blues might not be done making moves. As the defending Champions, there is already talk that the team has removed all references to their Stanley Cup win and are trying not to get cozy as the defending champions.

Faulk’s extension doesn’t kick in until next season but at that time, the Blues have four free agents on the blue line as well some bigger-ticket forwards up for an extension. It will be interesting to see which direction they choose to go with Faulk now in the fold over the long haul.