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The St. Louis Blues have acquired defenseman Justin Faulk and a 2020 5th round draft pick from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Joel Edmundson, forward Dominik Bokk and a 2021 7th round pick. The Blues immediately signed Faulk to a seven year extension with a $6.5 million AAV.
Even after winning the Stanley Cup, the Blues could use some defensive help. Captain Alex Pietrangelo will be a free agent after the season, and Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson are aging. Faulk is a big addition to the defensive core, even though he could be on the third pairing, behind Pietrangelo and Colton Parakyo. Faulk was entering a contract season, and will have a $4.83 million cap hit for his first season in St. Louis from his previous contract. The new contract for Faulk is hefty, and overpays him, and seven years is a lot, plus the extra year the Blues get him before the extension kicks in. They also traded Edmundson, one of their current starters, and Bokk, a recent first round pick.
Faulk, 27, scored 11 goals with 24 assists for 35 points in 82 games for the Hurricanes in 2018-19. In his NHL career, all in Carolina, Faulk has scored 85 goals with 173 assists for 258 points in 559 games.
The Hurricanes have a boatload of defensemen. With Faulk entering a contract year, it looked like he wasn\’t going to stay in Carolina. There were rumors of a trade with Anaheim, but Faulk reportedly blocked that deal (he has a no-trade clause). By acquiring the left handed Edmundson for the right handed Faulk, the Hurricanes balance out their defensemen; three lefties (Jaccob Slavin, Jake Gardiner and Edmundson) and three righties (Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Trevor van Riemsdyk) with Haydn Fleury and Gustav Forsling as extras. They also get Bokk, who was drafted 25th overall in 2018. The German is currently playing in the Swedish League.
Edmundson, 26, scored two goals with nine assists for 11 points in 64 games for the Blues last season. In his NHL career, all in St. Louis, Edmundson has scored 13 goals with 39 assists for 52 points in 269 games.
Bokk, 19, has no points in four games for Rogle BK Angelholm of the Swedish League this season. In his SHL career, Bokk has scored nine goals with 16 assists for 25 points in 66 games.
CarterHud 