The Devils’ purge has begun. Yet even after launching the housecleaning by waiving Brian Rolston yesterday, Lou Lamoriello still says his team can make the playoffs.
“Are we capable of it? Absolutely. This week, without question, is an important week,” Lamoriello said. His preseason powerhouse stands 29th of 30 at 8-19-2, a loser of five straight, as the Coyotes visit Newark tonight.
The Devils need 70 points in the final 53 games (35-18) to reach just 88 points, the fewest ever to make the playoffs since the shootout was adopted. Against that backdrop of desperation, Lamoriello yesterday waived Rolston, claiming he “has to start somewhere.”
If Rolston clears waivers at noon today, the Devils would not receive any salary-cap relief for the rest of his $5.06 million hit, some $3.5 million, by demoting him to Albany, since his contract is an over-35 deal. They also are on the hook for that hit next season.
To receive relief, the Devils will have to move Rolston to another NHL team, either by trade, or more likely by re-entry waivers, and pay half his salary and absorb half his cap hit for this season and next, while he plays elsewhere.
Until he’s moved, Rolston likely will remain with the team. The Devils have a payroll of some $66 million, more than $6 million over the cap, relying on long-term injury relief to comply, on an emergency basis.
“Since September, there’s been an elephant sitting in our locker room, with our cap-space situation. The shoe was going to drop, and it has, with me being waived,” Rolston told The Post.
Rolston has disappointed since returning to the Devils, with 15 and 20 goal seasons after topping 30 three straight years with Minnesota. He is 2-2-4 in 15 games and minus-6 this season.
“For the money his contract is, quite frankly, the return is not there,” Lamoriello said. “With the payroll we have, I have to start somewhere.”
Lamoriello said the situation “is not [Rolston’s] fault,” and called Rolston “a quality person. There’s no better teammate.”
The Devils’ GM said he still believes in his team.
“I believe in the players. I believe in the coaching staff. We haven’t gotten it together,” Lamoriello said. “There are no excuses. I take the responsibility.”
Rolston held out hope that he might land on his feet.
“It could be good for me,” Rolston said. “We’ll see what happens by noon.”
Rolston kept his feelings to himself at being waived by the team that went overboard to sign him July 1, 2008.
“I have plenty of thoughts, but this is a business. So let’s leave it at that,” said Rolston, originally the Devils’ 1991 first-rounder. He was traded to Colorado for Claude Lemieux and a second-rounder, with a swap of firsts Nov. 3, 1999. He also played with Boston.
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Defenseman Anssi Salmela is expected to make his season debut for New Jersey, returning from his second right knee reconstruction, this one in June from an injury suffered with the Finnish national team.
The Devils last lost six straight late in the 2008-09 season, going 0-5-1. They lost six straight in regulation in Nov. 2001.