The St. Louis Blues are 6-9-6 on the season and hovering near the bottom of the standings, with American Thanksgiving, where teams out of playoff positions are far less likely to make the postseason, less than a week away. It's difficult to find bright spots in the midst of miserable seasons like this one.
However, Justin Faulk's 1,000th game was one of those bright spots--and he followed it up with a two-goal performance in a losing effort against the Philadelphia Flyers. Those two goals would stand as the Blues' only tallies in that matchup. On the season, Faulk has six goals, six assists, and 12 points in 21 games.
Faulk, at 33 years old, is in his 15th NHL season. He's a respected veteran who wears a letter for the Blues and has been doing what he can to prop up an otherwise underwhelming Blues blue line group. He also has $6.5-million Annual Average Value (AAV) contract with one more year after this on it, and that contract comes with a 15-team no-trade list.
If there's one thing this season is showing us, it's that the Blues--as constructed--don't seem to have the juice to go on a playoff run, let alone reach the postseason. Even the return of Jake Neighbours, providing an assist against the Flyers, won't be enough to move the needle. So, what to do with Faulk?
It may be time to consider trading Faulk to a contender. He has cache not just in the Blues' locker room, but around the league, and would make a great third-pair defenseman for a roster with Stanley Cup aspirations. In St. Louis, however, Faulk is being overleveraged and can't handle the 23:29 he's averaging each game. If he keeps scoring and showing he can still contribute, perhaps he finds himself in a new sweater in the near future.