The Devils have signed center Damien Brunner, 27, to a professional tryout contract.

Brunner, who played 44 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, scored 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) with 12 penalty minutes.

He had been playing for EV Zug of the Swiss National A League.

"He'll be here and will practice tomorrow," GM Lou Lamoriello said. "We had inquired about him early in the year. We certainly have seen him in Detroit. We know a little bit about him from the Swiss League.

"We thought through the summer he would be signing. We said if it did not work out we'd be very interested in taking him to camp. When it looked like he hadn't gotten a contract we communicated, kept our word and he's here."

Brunner, from Oberlunkhofen, Switzerland, is 5-11, 184 pounds.

“For me I think it’s important just to play the way I can,” he said. “Be myself and bring my good elements to the team and see how that turns. I fire the puck as much as I can to create some opportunities and bring my speed into the game.”

An unrestricted free agent, he had been looking for a multi-year contract for about $2.5 million per season.

“I guess I stayed confident. I wasn’t worried," Brunner said. "My family supported me the whole summer and I focused on working out and skating.

“Conversations (with the Devils) started earlier in the summer and at this point I thought it was the right thing to do to come in and come to try out,” he said. “Obviously I’m happy about the chance.”

Brunner is a goal-scorer.

"He's a natural scorer. He's scored throughout his whole career," Lamoriello noted. "He's a very skillful player. We'll have time over the next week and a half to see where everything is at. We'll certainly get him into exhibition games and we'll proceed after that. There are no promises, no guarantees. It's a very up-front situation."

Before signing with the Red Wings last season, he scored 57 points (25 goals 32 assists) in 33 games for EV Zug.

“For me I think it’s important just to play the way I can,” Brunner said. “Be myself and bring my good elements to the team and see how that turns. I fire the puck as much as I can to create some opportunities and bring my speed into the game.”

Brunner attended the Devils-Rangers preseason game.

“I’m just excited about the chance to come here and prove myself," he said. "To be honest, I don’t know too much about the Devils. I did my homework about the stuff I need to know.”

Brunner had been skating with EV Zug, but wasn't interested in playing in Switzerland this season after his taste of the NHL.



"There were discussions about me playing some games over there, but for me I think it was important to get over here and show I can play here," he said. "I know what I've done in Switzerland. I was pretty consistent over the last five years."

I asked him why he didn't return to the Red Wings.



"First of all, Detroit is a first class organization. I can't say anything bad about them," Brunner said. "Great teammates and I'm happy they gave me a chance to prove myself in the NHL. It turned out good for me in the first year, but decisions were made and now there is a new challenge waiting."