The St. Louis Blues acquired Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, then promptly signed the veteran defenseman to a long extension.

In exchange for Faulk and a 2020 fifth-round pick, the Blues sent defenseman Joel Edmundson, prospect Dominik Bokk and a 2021 seventh-round pick to Carolina. Shortly after the trade went official on Tuesday afternoon, the Blues announced they'd signed Faulk to a seven-year contract extension worth $45.5 million (annual average value of $6.5 million).

"We're excited to add Justin to our core group for the next eight years," general manager Doug Armstrong said in a statement. "He's a top-4 defenseman who averages over 23 minutes a game and we are confident he will be a strong addition to our club."

There have been trade rumors surrounding Faulk for quite some time. Earlier this offseason, it was reported that the Anaheim Ducks had strong interest in acquiring the defenseman but couldn't work out a contract extension to facilitate the deal. Faulk, 27, is heading into the final year of his current deal, which carries a cap hit of $4.83 million. 

Faulk had spent his entire eight-year NHL career with the Hurricanes, where he became a fixture on their back end. The Hurricanes selected him in the second-round (No. 37 overall) of 2010  draft and he earned three All-Star selections during his time with the club. He's a solid two-way presence who ranked second among Canes defensemen with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) and a 55.7 percent goal share (five-on-five) last season. 

With Faulk on an expiring contract and the Hurricanes boasting a stacked blue line, Carolina was able to deal from a position of strength and avoid losing the veteran for nothing once the season ends. They get another veteran D-man back in Edmundsson, plus a 19-year-old forward prospect in Bokk, who was taken by the Blues in the first round (25th overall) in 2018. 

Faulk will join a strong St. Louis defensive corps that helped power the Blues to a Stanley Cup title last season.