Berglund on Waivers with Purpose to Terminate His Contract

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

For what? Anyone can file a grievance, but what are his grounds?  This isn’t Mike Richards.  He walked away.  He was given a deadline to return and didn’t.  End of story and contract. His only defense is a mental issue and that would have been asserted by his agent much earlier in the process.  

As to each of the bolded items:  we have no idea what the facts are.

While I understand your disgust with Bergy's behavior IF your assumptions about his motivations are true (and they very well could be), and I too am happy at the prospect of being rid of his contract, I think you are being much too quick to dismiss alternative scenarios/outcomes.

 

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Correct.

Getting some post-mortem on this is a big deal, too. I want to know whether his situation reflects in any way on the team, etc.

If @nfreeman is anything like me, he has humility on the subject of something as complicated as the NHL's CBA, various labour policies, and governing laws.

Me too.

And I aspire to be as nice a guy as you are, notwithstanding certain questionable opinions on certain matters.

[GASabresIUFAN]

16 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

As to each of the bolded items:  we have no idea what the facts are.

While I understand your disgust with Bergy's behavior IF your assumptions about his motivations are true (and they very well could be), and I too am happy at the prospect of being rid of his contract, I think you are being much too quick to dismiss alternative scenarios/outcomes.

 

Me too.

And I aspire to be as nice a guy as you are, notwithstanding certain questionable opinions on certain matters.

While I'm not the attorney that drafted the CBA, I am an attorney and from what I've read and researched on similar situations, I doubt Berglund has a grievance.  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Are we surrounded by lawyers in here?  Really, hands up if you are not a lawyer.  Oh, yeah ... or a doctor.

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Are we surrounded by lawyers in here?  Really, hands up if you are not a lawyer.  Oh, yeah ... or a doctor.

We have many medical pros as well.  Just proves that educated people like hockey. Or that we turned to education when the hockey thing didn’t work out.

[WildCard]

12 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Are we surrounded by lawyers in here?  Really, hands up if you are not a lawyer.  Oh, yeah ... or a doctor.

lawyers, doctors, and computer nerds

And then there's ubkev and his crazy work stories

[Doohicksie]

14 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Are we surrounded by lawyers in here?  Really, hands up if you are not a lawyer.  Oh, yeah ... or a doctor.

I'm just an engineer but I deal with my share of contract specs.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

lawyers, doctors, and computer nerds

And then there's ubkev and his crazy work stories

I once worked for the Erie County Sewer Dept and all the hospital codes (code brown) reminded me of some of the colorful codes we had for things.

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I once worked for the Erie County Sewer Dept and all the hospital codes (code brown) reminded me of some of the colorful codes we had for things.

[Huckleberry]

18 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Are we surrounded by lawyers in here?  Really, hands up if you are not a lawyer.  Oh, yeah ... or a doctor.

I always remembered why people had so much time around here.    Remember next time you are at the doctors office and you are waiting half an hour because the patient before  you takes longer.   Its your doctor winning an argument on Sabrespace.  ?

[Wyldnwoody44]

I.... Really... Really like what this thread is turning into. 

[SDS]

27 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Are we surrounded by lawyers in here?  Really, hands up if you are not a lawyer.  Oh, yeah ... or a doctor.

I've googled enough health ***** to be a doctor.

[Brawndo]

From Friedman’s 31 Thoughts 

 

In a week of strange, but true, no story is more mysterious than Patrik Berglund’s.

 

At noon (ET) Thursday, Berglund cleared waivers. That means the $12 million due to him disappears in a puff of smoke. Buffalo will be completely free of any financial responsibility to the player. 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Unconditional waivers are almost always a mutually beneficial divorce between a player and a team. As the Sabres exposed Berglund, Philadelphia did the same with 22-year-old AHL forward Radel Fazleev. Others who’ve gone this route this season include Martin Bakos, Yasin Ehliz, Dennis Everberg, Michael Lindqvist, Eric Martinsson, Carl Persson, Tomas Plekanec (who was retiring from the NHL), Filip Sandberg and Sergei Shumakov. Guys who were unhappy and knew of better opportunity. Their teams agreed. No need to make the lawyers rich, let’s just walk away from each other, no harm done.

 

With the exception of Jake Dotchin. That was a “material breach.”

 

Dotchin’s contract was terminated by Tampa Bay on Sept. 14, not long after the Lightning decided his conditioning upon arrival was unacceptable. Almost immediately, it was clear this was going to be a fight. Without strict definitions of what is acceptable and what isn’t, the NHLPA couldn’t allow this to stand without challenge. Who’s to say it wouldn’t happen again?

 

That process continues. It is not on the front-burner because Dotchin signed with Anaheim. But, he could gain something because of the lower salary from the Ducks, and the point about precedent remains.

 

Which brings us back to Berglund.

 

 

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. 

31 Thoughts: The Podcast

A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday.

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Earlier this week, one player (who wished to remain nameless) said, a couple of years ago, he was informed by his team that he and his agent failed to submit their list. He said the GM told him that “we have no intention of trading you, but if something happens, we’re just letting you know we can do what we need to.”

 

He said they asked the NHLPA for help, but the deadline was the deadline. They’d missed it.

 

He wasn’t traded. And the next year, you bet the list was on time. 

 

The Jeff Blair Show

Looking at some of the pieces of these surprising Sabres

December 19 2018

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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. Dotchin was all-in from the beginning. 

 

 

There is not the same certainty with Berglund. It’s hard to explain why, because information is very tight. But, it’s nowhere near the guarantee you would think. 

 

A lot more questions than answers.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

I'm an accountant and for 15 year have run my own practice.  I like it, but am now looking for some part-time 'jobs' at real companies, as I have some time since my friend passed away ... not really up to building it all up again.

The image you linked made me remember an ad for a 'Pumping Station Attendent' for Halifax Water.  Right in the ad it said ... 'Are you not afraid of rats.  How about cramped spaces.  How about strong odours.  Well, this is the job for you'.

Nope.  Will.  Not.  Do.  It.

They also needed to be one of you, so that eliminated me anyway, but who puts that stuff in an ad.  I suppose  they have to for full disclosure.

Edited December 20, 2018 by New Scotland (NS)
if I could type more goodly, I'd be dangerous ...

[That Aud Smell]

Good stuff there. (In Friedman's overview of the Berglund situation.)

Edited December 20, 2018 by That Aud Smell

[...]

52 minutes ago, WildCard said:

lawyers, doctors, and computer nerds

And then there's ubkev and his crazy work stories

I'm a professional mime.

[Doohicksie]

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Lawyers, Doctors and nerds oh my!

[shrader]

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Good stuff there. (In Friedman's overview of the Berglund situation.)

In other words, we still have no idea what's going on.

[Wyldnwoody44]

1 hour ago, SDS said:

I've googled enough health ***** to be a doctor.

...me too! 

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

1 hour ago, ... said:

I'm a professional mime.

Then why can I hear what you're typing.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

In other words, we still have no idea what's going on.

That’s not completely true.  Berglund is gone as of today and his contract with him.  

If he files a grievance and a deal is struck then some cap hit may return like with Mike Richards, but as of right now we are free of Berglund and his cap hit. I stick to my earlier opinion that there will be no grievance filed and the Berglund affair will be done.

Edited December 20, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN

[Sabres Fan in NS]

46 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Lawyers, Doctors and nerds oh my!

Don't forget the accountant ... ?

Although, most (maybe even you in this case) would lump us in with the nerds.

[Scottysabres]

12 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That’s not completely true.  Berglund is gone as of today and his contract with him.  

If he files a grievance and a deal is struck then some cap hit may return like with Mike Richards, but as of right now we are free of Berglund and his cap hit. I stick to my earlier opinion that there will be no grievance will be filed and the Berglund affair will be done.

Ohhhh, "The Berglund Affair".........sounds so Pelican Breif(ish)......

The intrigue, the mystery....

Can't wai5 for the book, then the movie trilogy ?

[North Buffalo]

2 hours ago, SDS said:

I've googled enough health ***** to be a doctor.

Stay heck off the internet... self diagnosers are the worst kind... wait what yet here I am...

[...]

39 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Then why can I hear what you're typing.

Because I'm really good.