Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Berglund's next contract
By Victoria Matiash
In the second season of his two-year deal, Patrik Berglund of the St. Louis Blues is playing for his financial future. Poised to become a restricted free agent this summer, the 24-year-old center is off to a good start, with five goals and two assists through nine contests. However, meaningful negotiations aren't expected to get going anytime soon.
Andy Strickland of TrueHockey.com suggests the Blues will want to see a lot more from Berglund this year before locking him in with a deal of significant length.
"... Berglund is still finding his way playing with Chris Stewart as the two don't necessarily bleed chemistry. Consistency has been the biggest battle for Berglund throughout his NHL career and this is a big year for this guy. With David Perron and T.J. Oshie signing long-term deals last summer, you can safely assume Berglund will be looking for a contract in the five-year range. I don't anticipate serious talks to happen until after the season ..."
After lighting it up with 22 goals and 30 assists two seasons' ago, Berglund was only okay through 2011-12 (38 points). A better performance -- as Strickland mentions, consistency is key -- would go a long way in convincing the Blues to invest substantially in the Swedish forward.
