The Buffalo Sabres have announced that centre Patrik Berglund has been suspended for indefinitely for failing to report. Berglund had missed the last two games due to illness.
Forward Patrik Berglund has been suspended indefinitely by the organization due to failure to report to the team.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 15, 2018
Patrik Berglund Suspended
The 30-year-old was out the last two games with an illness. He’s been going through plenty of injury issues and was a healthy scratch for a few games this season. He was not in the team’s projected lineup against the Washington Capitals.
Berglund has scored two goals and two assists for four points in 23 games this season. He also added six penalty minutes. His possession numbers were 48.3 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -1.5.
Over his 10-year NHL career, Berglund has played for the St. Louis Blues and the Buffalo Sabres. He has put up 170 goals and 156 assists for 326 career points in 717 career games. St. Louis originally drafted him in the first round.
Berglund came over with Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade in the summer. The press release declined any further comment at this time.
What This Means for the Future
Many thought Berglund would be a solid secondary scorer. However, he’s not found a place in the lineup of the revitalized Sabres. He was a former three-time 20-goal scorer in his time with the Blues. His career-high was 23 in the 2016-17 campaign.
The big forward hasn’t registered a point since he potted a goal and an assist on Nov. 3 against the Ottawa Senators.
He was also figured to be a good defensive forward along with Sobotka. Berglund still has three years remaining on his contract after this season with a $3.85 million cap hit.
He could fetch some interest on the trade market if general manager Jason Botterill can find a suitor.
OTTAWA, ON – NOVEMBER 01: Buffalo Sabres Winger Patrik Berglund (10) applies pressure on the forecheck during first period National Hockey League action between the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators on November 1, 2018, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
