NHL players are still competing in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy; however, the trade rumors are not stopping. According to hockey insider James Murphy of RG.org, the St. Louis Blues are working on a trade that could send Justin Faulk to the Boston Bruins. The return for the Blues, as mentioned, was high draft capital and a strong prospect, which the Bruins have a lot of. Here, we’ll go over how this trade could work for the Blues and what they should offer given their needs.
A Review of Faulk’s Value
To better understand the impact of this trade, we need to look at Faulk’s value to the Blues this season. At 33 years old, he is on a good pace, recording 30 points in 57 games before the Olympic break. He leads all defensemen on the team in points and carries a right-handed shot.
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Faulk would be a big loss to the Blues’ lineup, being that he’s one of their four right-handed defensemen. But opening a spot for younger right-handed players like Matthew Kessel and Logan Mailloux would be a significant adjustment that could help the Blues rebuild and develop their younger players into more mature roles.
The Blues can still survive with adequate experienced defensemen, led by Cam Fowler and Colton Parayko, to help their young players. Faulk is also nearing the end of his contract, with one more season left after this one, and it would be a good excuse to let him go and take the cap hit off his $6.5 million average annual value.
How This Affects the Bruins
Based on the Bruins’ position ahead of the Olympic break, they are in a good spot and could be strong contenders if they continue building toward solidifying their playoff spot. This is where Faulk can be a big piece to the Bruins’ defensive core.
But it will cost the Bruins a forward or defenseman, since they would have to cover whatever remains on Faulk’s contract. According to PuckPedia, the Bruins currently have roughly $2.936 million in available cap space.
The Bruins could potentially trade forward Michael Eyssimont ($1.45 million) and defenseman Andrew Peeke ($2.75 million), which together would be enough to add in order to even out the cap. To make this more worthwhile, the Blues can add in either a prospect like Juraj Pekarcik or Colin Ralph, along with a mid- to late-round pick, such as a sixth- or seventh-round pick.
Trade Summary
After reviewing all the minor details as possible to make this trade work, here is a brief summary of what it would come out to.
Blues Trade
- Justin Faulk
- Juraj Pekarcik (or Colin Ralph)
- 2028 sixth-round pick
Bruins Trade
- Michael Eyssimont
- Andrew Peeke
- 2028 fifth-round pick
The Blues are trading away a top-six defenseman in Faulk and a decent prospect in Pekarcik or Ralph. Depending on who fits their needs better in prospect depth, it will also give the Bruins some insurance since they are taking on Faulk’s contract. In return, the Blues get Eyssimont, who can fill in the forward gap caused by the Nick Bjugstad trade with the New Jersey Devils.
Peeke will help the Blues fill in the missing right-handed defenseman they need, but at a lesser value, and he will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) during the upcoming 2026 offseason, so they don’t have to keep him for the long term if they aren’t satisfied with him down the line.
For picks, the Bruins receive a 2028 fifth-round pick, and the Blues get a 2028 sixth-round pick for some smaller value.
All in all, both teams are getting a little bit of something that meets their needs, and it still somewhat meets the Blues’ ask in a different way to fill in gaps. Whether the Bruins choose to go through with it is up to them and the Blues, but once again, they are in a good position to take that risk and get some prospects that the Blues have plenty of. We’ll see if the Blues and Bruins work something out by the trade deadline on March 6.
