Here are my thoughts before I read the 5 page thread to see what the rest of you are talking about:
1) This makes the Blues better NOW. I'm not entirely sure what Faulk's usage will be, but it gives more options for the PP. I think that's the biggest place where he could strengthen the team, most immediately. I have to think they'll see how he handles playing his off-side, but Edmundson was slated to be the 3rd pairing guy before the trade, so if Faulk only plays 3rd pair and PP, its still reasonable usage.
2) I don't read anything into the Pietro situation. Pietro is a guy that you sign independent of the other parts of the team. The way I am reading the Faulk contract, he has a limited NTC this season (15 teams), but I don't see anything about protection on Cap Friendly after that. You can easily move him if you need to, to keep Pietro inside the Cap. But I think its more likely that Faulk is a Blue for 2 years and then claimed by Seattle. I don't think he'll be protected, and he'll be a quality player on a contract Seattle will be happy to take (signed for his prime years, several years of team control, not terribly overpaid. Expansion teams can afford a few suboptimal contracts pretty easily.) I think this is Armstrong optimizing the chances for the next couple years, or maybe even just this year.
EDIT: Looks like Faulk has full NTC first 5 years. But the salary is heavy the first 2 years (prior to the expansion draft) so makes him even more attractive to Seattle. You only are forced to protect players with NMC (not NTC).
3) Faulk didn't have the Blues on his no-trade list. But Anaheim was. He also clearly wanted to be here, since he had worked out a 7 year deal already. Its nice to have a team that guys are excited to come to. Being defending Cup champs is not a bad negotiating position.
4) Bokk is still an intriguing prospect, but it was hard to see how he'd help the Blues in the current window. I also think he has farther to go to reach his ceiling. I like that the Blues are willing to trade prospects (like Thompson and Bokk) to get players that are in their prime NOW, when the Blues are in their window NOW. Its just smart, if you can make the cap work out. And they identified Dunn, Thomas and Kyrou as the cream of the crop, so they're projected as part of the team going forward.
5) The Blues are going to be about a half million over the cap, even after sending Pouliot down. There has to be another move coming. Could Bozak be on the move? Is there a blockbuster for one of Parayko or Pietro...that I doubt in the extreme. They were clearly the backbone of the Cup success. No, I'm starting to wonder if there maybe IS a possibility of Allen being moved before the season. I would think the next move is one of Steen, Bozak or Allen. Otherwise its something big. Steen and Bozak (10 team NTC) both have NTC. They'd have to get Steen to agree to a trade, and its really hard for me to imagine what that could be. I don't see anyone poised for LTIR that makes a difference, or a surprise retirement. The rest of camp just got extremely interesting.
EDIT: Carolina retained enough salary to put the Blues under the cap after sending down the 8th d-man. So, while there COULD be another move coming, they don't have to make it. But they are pretty tight for future moves, right up against the Cap. I know Mud ACAS hates that.
6) I like the injection of a new player or two into the returning cast. I think its healthier for a team trying to repeat.
7) I suspect this is the deal that the New Jersey source (I can't remember the user, but he was a reliable source) expected several weeks ago. Its obvious that this has been in the works for a while.
