Justin Faulk is part of a retooling St. Louis Blues team. Like Alex Pietrangelo, he's a solid part of the Blues, well, blue line, providing plenty of minutes and a scoring aptitude. However, he could have a new home with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston floated some possibilities for potential fits with the Blues' defenseman. Yes, the Pietrangelo comp came up regarding the Golden Knights, as the duo talked about Faulk potentially coming to Sin City.
"I could see a world in which Faulk ends up with the Golden Knights, who haven’t really replaced the injured Alex Pietrangelo. I still think Rasmus Andersson is the more natural fit for the Golden Knights but if that doesn’t happen, Faulk is signed through next season and would give Vegas two playoff runs with a trusted right-shot defender."Pierre LeBrun
Of course, other names were mentioned in the mix, including the defending (back-to-back, mind you) champions, the Florida Panthers.
But is Faulk the ideal replacement for a fellow St. Louis Blue? Probably not. However, there's no denying that Faulk would instantly impact the Vegas Golden Knights positively. Maybe we should get to know the 33-year-old first before we jump into this "Blue" pool, eh?
What would Justin Faulk bring to the table for the Vegas Golden Knights
First, Justin Faulk carries a similar offensive style to Alex Pietrangelo. He's great as a facilitator, whether it's at even strength or on the power play. He also does well in the goal-scoring department, as proven by his 141 career goals.
But that's not all he brings to the table. The defenseman is also great at special teams, adding value on the power play and the penalty kill. The latter is where he shines, for he can chug the minutes and get his stick out. I mean, 22:39 for TOI/GP in 2025-26 makes him a workhorse, you know.
What makes him different from Pietrangelo is the trade-off of blocked shots for hits. While Faulk doesn't block as many shots as the two-time Stanley Cup champion (Pietrangelo has an 82-game average of 158, while Faulk has an 82-game average of 113), he's more physical. Faulk has an 82-game average of 129, while Pietrangelo has an 82-game average of 57.
Therefore, he would add a strong forechecking style for the Golden Knights. Vegas has had trouble with clogging lanes in recent weeks, which was apparent by their absences of Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. Faulk can be a solid depth piece that fills in the blanks, should Vegas need some extra D-line help.
Faulk won't exactly be an all-out replacement for Alex Pietrangelo, but he's still useful
Let's be honest for a second. Faulk isn't going to be an all-out replacement for his former Blues teammate's blue line presence. Pietrangelo always went all-out at all 200 feet of the ice, doing whatever it took to win. That included forechecking, backchecking, and adding more on the attack.
While the 33-year-old isn't exactly a fill-in, he can still add some bite for the Golden Knights' blue line. The St. Louis Blues defenseman can block shots and hit opponents. Considering that McNabb and Theodore are out, that could add more oomph to the blue line once both Misfits return.
Add some scoring to the mix and you have a solid offensive piece to the Golden Knights' mix. Some people have mentioned how the lineup skews towards being top-heavy. While Faulk isn't exactly a slew of depth guys, he can be a key piece that pushes Vegas closer to the Stanley Cup. Who knows? He might follow Pietragelo's footsteps and win a Stanley Cup himself.