The Boston Bruins dodged a massive bullet when Rasmus Andersson got cold feet and wouldn't sign a long-term extension with the team. Don Sweeney had reached terms on a deal with the Calgary Flames. But without a long-term extension, the Bruins wouldn't go through with the agreement. By all accounts, the Bruins were about to give Andersson $9 million annually, which would've been a disaster.
The Bruins are still looking for a veteran defenseman, and according to David Pagnotta in his recent article at The Fourth Period, the player they might be looking to acquire is Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues.
It isn't the first time that Faulk's name has been around the Bruins in trade talks. The right side has been a position of weakness for Boston, and slotting Faulk behind Charlie McAvoy to ease some responsibility would've been great when he was averaging over 0.60 points per game and was at the peak of his powers.
Faulk is having a better season this year than he had in 2024-25, but he still isn't the player that he used to be. He still averages over 22 minutes per game and is on pace for the highest goal total of his career, but we know how shooting percentages can sometimes inflate a player's goal total and give them more value than they deserve.
NHL Insider circles Bruins as a candidate for Justin Faulk
The Blues look like they could be in selling mode with some recent rumors about Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. 2019 Stanley Cup hero Jordan Binnington's name has even been circulating as a possibility for some of those playoff teams that need a more reliable goaltender. With just one year on his contract after this one, Faulk is a prime candidate to add to the list.
The $6.5 million price tag isn't overly scary for just one more season after this one. Sweeney doesn't need to be too wary of signing the right-shot defender to an extension if the number isn't any higher than it is now. He has been relatively healthy for most of his career, and he doesn't play a game where bumps and bruises are too big a concern. However, the Blues' asking price could be the most significant sticking point.
Boston can't offer the same package as the one they had in place for Andersson. The closer we get to the deadline, the more Faulk's price is going to go up. He would help the team in the interim and looks good for a postseason push with his experience, but Sweeney can't overpay for this asset.