Red Wings' Lottery Pick Headed to Blues After Faulk Trade

Detroit's first-round pick acquired by St. Louis has 15th-best lottery odds.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 2:42am

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A cubist-style painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes in navy, red, and grey, conceptually representing the complex dynamics of an NHL trade and its long-term consequences.A fractured, cubist interpretation of a high-stakes NHL trade deadline deal that has significant future implications for both teams.St. Louis Today

The Detroit Red Wings traded a first-round draft pick to the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline in exchange for defenseman Justin Faulk. With the Red Wings missing the playoffs, that first-round pick now has the 15th-best lottery odds and will go to the Blues, who also have their own higher first-round pick in the lottery.

Why it matters

This trade has turned into a major loss for the Red Wings, as the first-round pick they gave up to the Blues has a high probability of being a mid-first-round selection, while the Blues will have two lottery picks to help build for the future. The Red Wings' collapse after the trade deadline has compounded the negative impact of this deal.

The details

At the trade deadline, the Red Wings sent a first-round pick to the Blues in exchange for defenseman Justin Faulk. With the Red Wings missing the playoffs, that first-round pick now has the 15th-best lottery odds, giving the Blues a valuable asset to work with in the upcoming draft. The Blues also have their own first-round pick, which is slotted to have the 9th-11th best lottery odds.

  • The Red Wings traded the first-round pick to the Blues at the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

The players

Detroit Red Wings

An NHL team that missed the playoffs this season after making the trade deadline deal that sent a first-round pick to the St. Louis Blues.

St. Louis Blues

An NHL team that acquired a first-round pick from the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline, which now has the 15th-best lottery odds after the Red Wings missed the playoffs.

Justin Faulk

A defenseman who was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Detroit Red Wings at the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

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The takeaway

This trade has turned into a major loss for the Red Wings, as the first-round pick they gave up to the Blues has a high probability of being a mid-first-round selection, while the Blues will have two lottery picks to help build for the future. The Red Wings' collapse after the trade deadline has compounded the negative impact of this deal.