The strange case of Patrik Berglund

[yave1964]

  Not sure what is going on here with Patrik Berglund. Really.

 

  He has always been one of those guys who goes from ice cold for a month to red hot for two weeks then colder still for another month. 15 goal 30 point seasons are the norm for this guy who shows just enough to make you think there has to be more. The Blues signed him to a long term deal and then right as his full no movement portion of his deal expired they dealt him immediately as partial payment for Ryan O'Reilly.

  He has been worse than ever with the Sabres who he has voiced displeasure over his ice time with his new team. He was scratched for a couple of games, then a no show on a team flight to Washington, missing without team permission three consecutive games, the Sabres gleefully placed him on waivers to void his contract which had three years on top of the rest of this one left on it with a cap hit of 12.5 million total. Essentially Berglund could have been one of the games highest paid 12th or 13th forwards on a team that didn't want him and on which he didn't want to be a part of for the next three and a half years, instead he is free to negotiate his own much smaller deal with a team of his choosing and the Sabre organization is more than willing to allow him to do so as his contract no longer counts against the cap.

 

  Not sure what happened here. It feels that there simply has to be more to the story. Dan Carcillo among several former players has come to Berglunds defense but the Sabres and Berglund are mum on what if anything else is part of the story.

[blocker]

On the surface, it makes no sense at all.

[Buffalo Rick]

3 hours ago, yave1964 said:

  Not sure what is going on here with Patrik Berglund. Really.

 

  He has always been one of those guys who goes from ice cold for a month to red hot for two weeks then colder still for another month. 15 goal 30 point seasons are the norm for this guy who shows just enough to make you think there has to be more. The Blues signed him to a long term deal and then right as his full no movement portion of his deal expired they dealt him immediately as partial payment for Ryan O'Reilly.

  He has been worse than ever with the Sabres who he has voiced displeasure over his ice time with his new team. He was scratched for a couple of games, then a no show on a team flight to Washington, missing without team permission three consecutive games, the Sabres gleefully placed him on waivers to void his contract which had three years on top of the rest of this one left on it with a cap hit of 12.5 million total. Essentially Berglund could have been one of the games highest paid 12th or 13th forwards on a team that didn't want him and on which he didn't want to be a part of for the next three and a half years, instead he is free to negotiate his own much smaller deal with a team of his choosing and the Sabre organization is more than willing to allow him to do so as his contract no longer counts against the cap.

 

  Not sure what happened here. It feels that there simply has to be more to the story. Dan Carcillo among several former players has come to Berglunds defense but the Sabres and Berglund are mum on what if anything else is part of the story.

Oh there has to be more to the story.  I am disgusted as I always liked him and was very excited to have him on board. I was a bit shocked early on when Housley had benched him for no apparent reason.  He had just been very good on the penalty kill and he put an open net goal in to ice the game I believe vs Montreal early in the season from close to his own blue line.  

 

I am not happy with these developments.  My suspicion is problems between him and Housley?  But its just an educated guess based on the benching for no apparent reason.  Scandella is a guy that deserved to be benched.  Not Berglund in my opinion. I do not know what he was watching?  Housley I mean. But when you are winning, management does not question you

[hf101]

Elliot Friedman posted something interesting, but then it's difficult to understand as there still isn't a reason that explains anything.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/31-thoughts-happened-philadelphias-messy-hakstol-firing/

 

He's asking the question if Bergland really was agreeing to the termination of contract?  Berglund was traded on July 1.  According to Friedman - "Berglund had a full no-trade clause that ended the day before, June 30. He had the right to submit a partial no-trade beginning on Canada Day. For whatever reason, it was late.

 

"In Berglund’s case, the lapse opened the door. His relationship with the Sabres, tenuous at the start, never got better. He couldn’t stick in the lineup, and we know now that everyone involved was hiding the truth for some time.

We don’t know the full story, so it’s important to be respectful and careful. But, the key question is whether or not Berglund even wants to pursue a grievance. The NHLPA would want to protect his contract, too."

 

 

[hf101]