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St. Louis Blues Sign Patrik Berglund to Five-Year Extension

By Patrick Karraker

Nov 22, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Blues center Patrik Berglund (21) during the third period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. The St. Louis Blues won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Blues center Patrik Berglund (21) during the third period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. The St. Louis Blues won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Patrik Berglund will remain with the Blues for the next five seasons.

The St. Louis Blues announced early Friday afternoon that they’ve signed center Patrik Berglund to a five-year, $19.25 million-dollar extension. The 28-year-old forward is second on the team with 17 goals this season and has 24 points overall through 60 games.

Blues fans likely would have been up in arms about this move had it been announced either at the midway point of the 2015-16 season or this season. Berglund is believed to have played through a painful shoulder injury for the duration of the 2014-15 season, perhaps explaining why he had just 12 goals and 15 assists in 77 games that season.

He finally relented and had surgery just prior to the ’15-’16 season, which kept him out for the first 40 games. After returning, though, Berglund was quite productive, scoring 10 goals with five assists in 42 games of action while adding four goals and five assists during 20 playoff games.

Berglund came out of the gates slow again this season, scoring just one goal with seven assists through his first 30 games. In his last 30, he has 16 goals, though he’s been held without an assist in 2017.

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The Blues obviously will be counting on continued offensive production from Berglund, but he provides his greatest value as a steady player in his own zone. He’s by no means a heavy hitter, but the 6-foot-4, 223-pounder does a good job of using his size to boost his defensive ability. Even if Berglund’s scoring production drops, he has the skill set to be a successful fourth-line forward (albeit an overpaid one) if necessary.

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With Berglund under contract, the Blues only have two players who will become unrestricted free agents after this season: defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who is expected to be a major trade deadline target, and fourth-line winger Scottie Upshall, who definitely has a chance to return next season if he’s willing to accept another inexpensive deal. Berglund is under club control longer than all but one player on the Blues’ roster: Vladimir Tarasenko, who is in the second season of an eight-year deal.

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