St. Louis Blues acquire Justin Faulk and sign him to 7 year extension

The St. Louis Blues have traded for Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk. In exchange, they’re sending Joel Edmundson, prospect Dominik Bokk, and a 2021 seventh-round pick.

In an unexpected turn of news, the St. Louis Blues have acquired Justin Faulk and a 2020 5th round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes. They then signed him to a seven-year $6.5 million AAV extension.

For Justin Faulk and the 2020 fifth-rounder, the Hurricanes acquired defenseman Joel Edmundson, a 2021 seventh-round draft pick, and prospect Dominik Bokk. The deal makes Faulk a Blue over the next eight years.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

Faulk is currently 27, meaning the Blues will have him until he turns 35. Over the last two years, Edmundson has had a decline in his play. So him being moved is not a surprise. He was expected by most to be a movable player. What comes as unexpected is the player the Blues received to take his place.

The Blues have captain Alex Pietrangelo in the last year of his contract as well as Brayden Schenn. Both due substantial raises. Is this a foreshadowing of the captain’s future in St. Louis? Has the play of Klim Kostin made Armstrong willing to move on from Brayden Schenn?

The questions are many, but the move itself speaks volumes to the organization’s belief that their window is now and they will maximize that opportunity whenever possible. General Manager Doug Armstrong has made several big-time moves over the last few seasons and this falls no short of big-time.

Time will tell what this means long-term for the organization, but one thing is certain for the immediate, they want to win. In order to determine if this was a long-term win for the Blues will hinge on the play of Bokk. He is a highly-touted prospect in the Blues organization and expects to become a real NHL threat in a few years.

Like all trades, time will tell. In the immediate, I like the move and think the Blues are the team to beat. With Faulk they have a top 5 D-core that every NHL would love to have.