Sports Illustrated’s Jason Fink argues that Red Wings defenseman and trade deadline acquisition Justin Faulk will be part of Detroit’s leadership solution to the “Dylan Larkin problem”:
Everywhere Faulk has played, he’s had a leadership role. In Carolina, Faulk was named co-captain with Jordan Staal for the 2017-18 season. He also served as an alternate captain during his tenure with the Hurricanes before he was dealt to the Blues in the fall of 2019.
While in St. Louis, he served as an alternate captain for seven seasons. Faulk was the captain of Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, which saw USA fall to Canada 4-0 in the quarterfinals.
There’s more to Faulk than just letters on his sweater. He plays heavy minutes against the opposition’s top stars and has 1,058 career NHL games to his credit.
When Yzerman acquired him, he wasn’t just looking for a dependable defenseman. He was bringing in a veteran capable of showing the Red Wings how to win while mentoring the club’s young blueliners.
The Wings want Faulk to take defensemen such as Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Albert Johansson under his wing and assist them in taking their games to the next level. The Red Wings know what Justin Faulk can do on the ice. This season, they’ll find out what he can do with a locker room.
Continued; there’s no doubt that the Red Wings will want Faulk to join the leadership group. The question is how much he’ll be able to step up as a strong defenseman who’s admittedly lost a step over the past couple of seasons.
