The Toronto Maple Leafs need to add a top-four defenceman if they want to one, make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and two, make some noise. The St. Louis Blues have exactly what the doctor ordered.
More specifically, Blues defenceman Justin Faulk is the right-handed blueliner who Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving should have his eyes on, as it does sound like St. Louis are open to just about any type of deal ahead of this season’s trade deadline. Faulk, 33, is signed through next season at a very reasonable $6.5 million AAV, and does have some say in his future, holding a 15-team no-trade clause.
The Blues enter Wednesday’s action with a 19-23-8 record, sitting second last in the Western Conference. While GM Doug Armstrong has been busy this season scouting for Team Canada’s Olympic team, with the roster named, Armstrong could turn his entire focus to re-tooling his roster in St. Louis. Faulk’s certainly one of his veterans that will be in play on the trade market ahead of the Olympic roster freeze, and then again before the NHL’s trade deadline.
Faulk’s had a decent season this year, on a really bad team, scoring 11 goals and adding 12 assists, for 23 points in 50 games. He sees the ice as good as anybody on the back end, can make a crisp first pass, has a booming slap shot, and would give the Leafs a true power-play quarterback for their top unit. The Blues’ d-man has 10 shots on the season that are between 90-100 mph, with his best coming in at 96.15 mph. This is the type of weapon the Maple Leafs desperate need from their blueline with the man advantage, and at five-on-five, for that matter. Faulk can really powder the puck, and for comparison’s sake, Morgan Rielly’s hardest shot this season sits at 87.13 mph, and he has a total of six shots over 80mph all season long. Faulk has 39.
Faulk makes a ton of sense as a trade target for Treliving and the Maple Leafs, especially from a skillset perspective, and then add in the fact that he easily plays heavy minutes, averaging 22:33 a night, including on both sides of special teams, and don’t forget he has some history with Craig Berube in St. Louis. Familiarity never hurts when it comes to in-season additions, as it can be tough to get up to speed with your new club, as the intensity of the games picks up closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Faulk has offensive instincts and the hockey sense to be able to contribute as a secondary scoring option for the Leafs, and while he doesn’t lay bone-crushing hits on a regular basis, he’s one of the best shot blockers in the league, and has no issues eating pucks for his teammates. The fact that Faulk only has one year left on his contract is a good thing, as it’s a low-risk move that, if it doesn’t work out, the Leafs can move him ahead of next season’s trade deadline, or just walk away once his contract expires. Low risk, and very high-reward potential.
With Rasmus Andersson traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, you could argue Faulk’s the best defenceman available on the trade market. Treliving will have to be creative if he wants to pull this off, as the Leafs don’t have much for cap space, and the same can be said about their trade assets.
Simon Benoit is available, and at $1.3 million AAV, that’s a start when it comes to working out the financials. Leafs’ prospect Ben Danford is someone who Armstrong will ask about, and the only way Treliving should even consider moving Danford for Faulk is if the Blues retain 50% of his remaining contract. There’s potential Faulk could sign an extension, so essentially the Leafs could get a year and a half at a discounted rate, and then another few seasons at full price. Would Benoit, Danford, and Calle Jarnkrok as a financial throw-in be enough to make the Leafs’ offer competitive on the trade market? Will any other team give up their top defensive prospect for Faulk? Hard to say at this point, but it’s certainly a strong offer.
If Armstrong has no interest in retaining salary on Faulk’s remaining contract, this trade becomes very complicated. The good news is that the Blues have two contract slots open within their organization, so the quantity-over-quality approach could work for Treliving if Faulk’s joining at full price.
At the end of the day, Treliving has his work cut out for him in a major way ahead of this season’s trade deadline. The cupboards are bare, his cap situation isn’t ideal, and there’s gaping holes on the Maple Leafs’ blueline which needs to be addressed if this team is going to win games in the spring.
Faulk would be a perfect addition to Toronto’s defense core. The only problem is, Treliving barely has anything to offer, and if a bidding war ensues, the Leafs trade offer will stand no chance at coming out on top.