The Detroit Red Wings have a defense problem that looks more like a good problem than a bad one.
With Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson already set for major roles, the real squeeze is coming from the rest of the blue line. And after four preseason games, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Anton Johansson have made a loud case that they belong in the NHL mix right now. That kind of pressure should at least push Detroit to see what a Justin Faulk trade might bring back.
Johansson has been the preseason surprise that keeps getting harder to dismiss. The 22-year-old has suited up in all four games and piled up five assists, including a four-assist night against Pittsburgh. He added another helper against Buffalo on Thursday, giving him five points over his last three games and putting him atop the Red Wings’ preseason scoring chart.
The numbers matter, but so does the way he’s doing it. At 6-foot-4, Johansson brings size and reach that Detroit can use on the back end, and his offensive confidence has stood out.
Head coach Todd McLellan has already taken note of how well he’s played. With that blend of size, puck movement and offense, it gets tougher by the day to explain why he should be headed back to Grand Rapids just because there isn’t an open spot.
Sandin-Pellikka is a different case, but the message is the same. The organization already knows what it has there. He played 63 NHL games last season and finished with 19 points, and this preseason he has looked far more comfortable at the NHL level.
Through four preseason games, ASP has scored twice. One came against Pittsburgh on a long shot that put Detroit up 3-1. The other came Thursday against Buffalo, when he buried a power-play one-timer from the right circle after a feed from Johansson.
He’s the kind of young defenseman Detroit should be making room for. He’s 21, already has NHL experience and has the kind of offensive upside that could eventually make him a real power-play piece. If he’s ready for more responsibility, the Red Wings need to make sure there’s an actual path for him to get it.
That’s where Faulk enters the conversation.
Detroit landed the veteran defenseman from St. Louis in March, giving up Justin Holl, prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, a first-round pick and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Faulk had 32 points in 61 games before the move and carries a $6.5 million cap hit through this season.
That was a hefty price, no doubt. But it doesn’t mean Detroit has to hold onto him forever.
Faulk is 34 and can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. If another team sees him as an immediate help and values his experience, the Red Wings could turn that investment into more assets while clearing a lane for the younger defensemen pushing up from behind.
Detroit doesn’t have to move Faulk simply because Johansson and Sandin-Pellikka have flashed in the preseason. But if both keep playing like this, the front office should be making calls.
The question becomes simple: does the organization want to keep leaning on a 34-year-old veteran on an expiring $6.5 million contract, or start handing meaningful NHL minutes to two young defensemen who could be part of the core for a long time?
If the return makes sense, a Faulk trade could do a lot at once. It would open cap space, bring in another asset and create the room Johansson or ASP may soon force their way into.
The timing may be right for Detroit to make a move not because Faulk has failed, but because the players behind him have made his spot look vulnerable. Right now, Sandin-Pellikka and Johansson are making that case very hard to ignore.
In Other News...
Red Wings Blue Line Suddenly Carries A Bigger Question Than Fans Expected
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For the Red Wings, the more interesting part is what this means for the group below the surface, where Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Anton Johansson are still trying to carve out room in a system that has made prospect development a real priority. With Simon Edvinsson's contract situation still unresolved, Detroit suddenly has a more complicated decision in front of it, and the next few steps on defense may say as much about timing as talent. [Read more 🡒]
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One of the more interesting pieces was in net, where Daniil Tarasov was the goaltender in the drill instead of John Gibson. The blue line also had a different look with Albert Johansson on the top pair next to Moritz Seider, while the team works toward settling its final group before facing the Rangers on opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkins Red Wings Exit Now Feels Like A Matter Of Time
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Larkin has said he is trying to stay professional and win back the trust of his teammates, while also acknowledging the frustration on both sides with how this has played out. The list of teams he would accept a deal to has grown, which only adds to the sense that his time in Detroit is becoming harder to picture, even if the final step still hasnt happened. [Read more 🡒]