Report: The ugly details behind Berglund’s contract termination

Yesterday afternoon the Buffalo Sabres officially cut ties with veteran forward Patrik Berglund by placing him on waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract.

The 30 year old Berglund  cleared waivers at 12pm ET today and is now officially a free agent. Berglund was suspended by the team last week for refusing to report and has now had his contract worth $3.85 million per year officially torn up.

The veteran forward was acquired this past offseason from the St. Louis Blues as part of a blockbuster trade featuring Ryan O’Reilly, but it’s clear that Berglund hasn’t fit into the Sabres’ lineup quite like expected. He’s played 23 games and picked up just two goals and four points along the way.

Still… despite being unhappy with his playing time, Berglund still had nearly $10 million owed to him under his contract, so why refuse to report and void your contract? I mean… who would just walk away from $10 million!?

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shed a bit of light on the situation today in his latest 31 Thoughts column, but unfortunately we’re still left with more questions than answers regarding the divorce between Berglund and the Sabres.

Check it out:

The number one question being asked is: “Does Berglund really agree with this?”

The forward was traded from St. Louis to Buffalo in the Ryan O’Reilly deal on July 1. The date is significant. 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.

Whether or not Berglund grieves his case with the NHLPA remains to be see, but it’s worth noting that the big Swedish forward has yet to make a public statement regarding his contract termination. He’s eligible to sign with another team, whether in the NHL or elsewhere, but again because of his silence it’s anyone’s guess what his next move will be.