The Devils today traded veteran left winger Brian Rolston to the Islanders for right winger Trent Hunter and a conditional draft pick in 2012.



Rolston was about to enter the final season on his contract with the Devils for $5 million. His salary cap hit was $5.062 million, the result of a four-year, $20 million contract he signed with the Devils on July 1, 2008.



"It's been a bit of a rough ride in Jersey," Rolston told The Star-Ledger. "I'm actually happy to go to a place that wants me. I just want to start new. I'm actually really happy about the change.



"I saw it coming. There was no blindside here. It was something we discussed from the end of the season and into the summer."



Hunter, 31, has two years remaining on his five-year contract at $2 million per season.



"It was as much a business trade as any," general manager Lou Lamoriello said.



The deal is contingent upon Hunter passing a physical. He underwent surgery on Feb. 8 to repair a torn MCL in his left knee.



"We will be getting him in for a physical. We have every reason to believe he is 100 percent healthy," Lamoriello said. "We'll be seeing him within the next 48 hours or so."



In 65 games for the Devils last season, Rolston scored 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists). He was put into a position in the second half of last season to play left wing on a line with Patrik Elias and looked like the Rolston of old.



"Players of his type have to play on the top two lines," Lamoriello explained. "That's what happened in the second half of last year. Brian is a left wing and the two left wings we have are Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. But Zach wasn't there last season. So Brian got that ice time."



Rolston admitted that was only part of the reason for this trade.



"I think that's definitely one of the things. And obviously the financial situation as well," Rolston said.



This now gives the Devils more cap space to sign Parise, a restricted free agent scheduled for salary arbitration on Aug. 3.



"I don't want to mix the situations," Lamoriello said hesitantly about having more flexibility to sign Parise. "Until something is done you're never close but I don't think anyone can question the respect we have for Zach."



Rolston, who said the Islanders have some young talent that is ready to turn that organization around, had hoped for a happy return to the Devils when he signed his big deal in 2008. But he suffered a high ankle sprain early in that 2008-09 season. Even when he regained his form, he was never used in a spot to maximize his skills as a speedy skater with a powerful shot.



Because his contract we so hefty, it left the Devils unable to trade him over the past two seasons. They placed him on waivers Dec. 14, but Rolston went unclaimed before eventually finding his way back onto the team.



"I have no regrets (about signing the contract)," he said. "I think it made me stronger. I read a quote that said: 'Life is 10 percent of what happens to you and 90 percent how you react.'



"I would say the thing that hurt me most was my injury the first year. Because I was getting an opportunity (to play a key role) right off the bat. But when I came back, that wasn't the case. I was done. They didn't give me another opportunity to be successful, which is obviously disappointing."



Until Jacques Lemaire did in the second half of last season.



"I'm excited. I'm going somewhere where I know I'm going to be utilized," Rolston said. "I felt like last year, after I got waived, that was the first time the Devils played me (in a key role) and I produced in that capacity. But the Devils are a first-class organization and they're always going to be first class."



Lamoriello said: "The most difficult thing about something like this is Brian Rolston is such a quality human being and, without question, a quality player."



Hunter had four points (one goal, three assists) in just 17 games for the Islanders.

For more Devils coverage, follow Rich Chere on Twitter at twitter.com/Ledger_NJDevils

Rich Chere: rchere@starledger.com