GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 31: Justin Faulk #72 of the St. Louis Blues looks to pass during the NHL game aph at Gila River Arena on December 31, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Blues 3-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Blues are going to have Justin Faulk on their team for quite awhile. The quicker fans realize this, the better off we all will be.

When the St. Louis Blues acquired Justin Faulk, nobody knew a pandemic would hit and there would be no telling what the 2020-21 salary cap would be. The last word on it, though very unofficial, was it might actually stay the same.

That’s much better than the alternative. Pierre McGuire was suggesting the cap could drop by 25-40%.

Smarter people than myself were saying they could understand that. While I know there are mechanisms in place, the idea that a quarter of your roster would need to have contracts altered or even cut is insane.

Just as insane, however, is this constant idea that the Blues are looking to shed Faulk’s contract. If you don’t like the guy, that is one thing, but get real and think that thought through.

The Blues literally just gave Faulk that extension. The proverbial ink on the dotted line is just now drying.

Doug Armstrong knew the situation he was going to have in re-signing Alex Pietrangelo before they acquired Faulk. One can argue that things have changed because of the pandemic and the loss of revenue, but the fact remains that the Blues are simply not going to look to unload someone they signed immediately after acquiring him.

Faulk is not as good an overall player as Pietrangelo, but he’s not that far behind offensively. Faulk has played 130 fewer games in his career, but only trails Petro by 19 goals.

There is little doubt that Petro is a better defender. His defensive point shares are roughly two points better per season.

However, while fans want to make this Pietrangelo vs. Faulk, that is simply not how the Blues view it. The Blues are likely to view this more as Pietrangelo vs. Colton Parayko.

Parayko is ready to ascend to the team’s top defensive spot if needed. While it might be somewhat awkward to have Marco Scandella on the top defensive pair, it would be no different than the revolving door on left defense with Pietrangelo ever since Jay Bouwmeester got put elsewhere.

Parayko is actually a better defender, based on the eye test, and is showing the skill to be as potent on the offensive end if he chooses. IF the Blues allowed Pietrangelo to walk, or he simply found a team willing to pay him more than is reasonable, then having Faulk as your second right-handed defenseman is not as terrible as so many want to make out.

Fans need to stop looking for avenues to dump Faulk. 99% of what they come up with is just thick-headed nonsense.

Seattle will not bail you out. I say you because the Blues are happy with their deal.

Nobody seems to realize the Expansion Draft is not until 2021. Pietrangelo is a free agent in 2020. The timelines do not match up, regardless of whatever responses happen on social media to the contrary.

The Blues are not going to buy Faulk out. He has not been with the team long enough to qualify for any covid related buyout relief. The Blues are not going to take the still enormous cap-hit that would accompany buying him out via the regular, annually available option.

You don’t get to just buy a player out and go on with your life. There is still a penalty with a part of that contract counting against you.

The Blues are not going to trade Faulk, unless someone wowed them with an unbelievable deal, which won’t happen because the Blues cannot get NHL talent in return to hold onto Pietrangelo. Faulk also has a no-trade clause.

Fans also need to get themselves on a similar page. I understand that is like asking everyone to agree on politics or religion, but let’s be real.

Fans were willing to throw money at Kevin Shattenkirk. Shattenkirk actually has fewer career goals than Faulk and is older.

Their defensive numbers are slightly similar, with Shattenkirk being marginally better over the course of his career but very marginally.

Additionally, Shattenkirk’s number have never been as good outside of St. Louis. So, the fans wanting to keep him were not exactly right.

The fans wanting to give Pietrangelo all the money in the world aren’t exactly right either. Very few teams that have given any player $10 million-plus have not hampered their ability to keep other key parts or add players when necessary.

You can make the case that the Blues went too high in dollars or years with Faulk. I would not argue 100% against that.

However, some of those same people are willing to give even more money to Pietrangelo and similar years. Pietrangelo is almost two-full years older than Faulk. It might not seem like it, but there is a gigantic gap between $6.5 million and the $8-10-plus million that Pietrangelo has been rumored to seek.

Regardless of what the Blues can afford, that $2 million, or more, is a player or two on your roster.

Again, this is not meant to be a Pietrangelo vs. Faulk argument. If the Blues can work it out, they should attempt to keep both.

However, this incessant plot to rid the Blues of Faulk after 75% of one season is insane. It is not happening.

Stop torturing yourself trying to figure out ways the Blues can shed him.

If you don’t like Faulk or his game, that’s fine. Nobody is saying you have to.

You can think the contract was a mistake. You can blame him for any player lost in free agency if you wish.

Just stop thinking he’s going anywhere.