By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
The Boston Bruins are rumored to be interested in 33-year-old defenseman Justin Faulk, and you should hope to the hockey gods that they don’t end up acquiring him. This is a player many believe is on the downturn of his career, despite his ability to generate chances on the offensive side of the ice.
This reported interest in an older asset like Faulk presumably reflects confidence in the team’s current performance, because why else would you pursue such a situation-dependent defenseman at his age? Regardless, general manager Don Sweeney should take another look at his roster, because pairing a player like this with an underskilled offensive core and a physically limited defensive group simply doesn’t make sense.
Roster-building Commitment
With David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie supported by supplementary pieces added in the offseason to help the team adjust to the modern National Hockey League forechecking game, the absence of true finishing talent has still been prevalent throughout the season. The team has embraced this identity, remembering what it meant for the franchise to have its record-breaking season ended abruptly in 2023 by a team in South Florida that committed to a similarly physical attack.
Trading for Faulk would almost signal a denial of that commitment, adding a puck-moving defenseman who struggles to hold up defensively in order to create chances for teammates who are not exactly natural snipers. The history of undersized offensive defensemen is not particularly encouraging either, as a former Bruin like Torey Krug saw his best days come before his departure from Boston.
The Bruins simply need to keep building on what has become a satisfyingly balanced roster, unified by similar playing identities. If there is a puck-moving defenseman who can hold up in his own end, then the situation would demand that they take advantage.
Until then, James Hagens and others need as much long-term stability as possible while they are integrated into the major league roster. That way, the balance of the roster’s identity aligns with the prospects’ offensive savvy to reach the pressure point Sweeney has seemingly intended to hit.
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