The St. Louis Blues may have found a replacement for one Justin with another.
When the Blues moved veteran defender Justin Faulk at the NHL trade deadline, they landed another veteran defenseman named Justin. The Blues received Justin Holl in the Faulk trade. And I’ll admit, my initial knee-jerk reaction was Holl being a cap dump on the Blues’ part.
But there might actually have been a method to the madness. Holl has played five games for the Blues since the trade. And he hasn’t looked out of place.
No, Holl won’t be a top-pairing defenseman anytime soon. But he could be that hard-nosed veteran blueliner that an otherwise young core needs. The 34-year-old is 6’4” and 205 pounds. He plays tough minutes and is not afraid to mix things up. He’s playing about 15 minutes a night, officially on the third pair.
That’s something that will eventually change. Holl played a season-high 18:47 against the Vancouver Canucks and has looked solid enough to warrant more playing time moving forward.
So, what would be a realistic expectation for Holl?
Since he won’t contribute much in the way of offense, he’ll slide into a shutdown role similar to the one he once held with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His 400 games of NHL experience will come in handy, especially as younger defensemen like Philip Broberg, Logan Mailloux, and Theo Lindstein continue to cut their teeth at the NHL level.
Holl isn’t nearly as offensively capable as Faulk. But he’s a right-shot D and can quietly chew up minutes. Perhaps his time in the Red Wings’ purgatory this season has allowed him to keep his head more focused on the game.
The biggest criticism of Holl’s play, particularly in Toronto, was his penchant for costly gaffes in his own end. From time to time, Holl’s turnovers ended up in the back of his own net. Considering the ruthless nature of the Toronto media, it wasn’t surprising to see him become a scapegoat.
After signing as a free agent in Detroit, the Red Wings seemed let down by the fact that he didn’t win the Norris Trophy. The defensive gaffes continued, and Detroit’s up-and-coming blueliners seemed to push him out of the lineup.
Holl is seemingly entering a similar situation in St. Louis. The difference this time around could be the Blues’ willingness to give him a fair shake.
Blues should re-sign Holl this offseason
The small sample size at this point should be enough to convince the Blues to give Holl one more kick at the NHL can.
The veteran will be a UFA this summer. And it’s unlikely that suitors will be knocking down his door to sign him. If Holl waits out the very thin UFA market, he could land a solid deal with an organization looking for a depth defenseman.
But why risk sitting all summer waiting for the phone to ring? There’s a plausible opportunity in St. Louis. So, taking it would make sense. If anything, it wouldn’t be outlandish to see the Blues ink Holl to a two-year deal worth about $4 or $5 million.
Holl is 34. So, there wouldn’t be an appetite for a long-term deal. And his next contract would certainly include a pay cut from his current $3.4 million cap hit.
The Blues, nevertheless, must like what they have seen from Holl thus far. They’ll need a replacement for Faulk next season, and, well, the Blues could do much worse than Holl. The veteran blueliner could be a placeholder for other D-men rising through the system.
Re-signing Justin Holl would be the sort of low-risk move a still retooling organization like St. Louis can afford to make.