The Devils continued to make roster moves today, placing veteran winger Jay Pandolfo and enforcer Andrew Peters on waivers.

If both clear waivers, the Devils can buy the players out. Pandolfo’s deal is worth $2.5 million, while Peters’ is only $500,000.

The league’s CBA determined that teams who buy out players spread their cap hit over two years. With buyout of both players likely, the Devils will be paying two thirds of Pandolfo and Peters remaining salary this season and next season. Pandolfo will cost the team $833,333, while Peters will only be $166, 667.

Peters never seemed to fit into ex-coach Jacques Lemaire’s system. Peters made the team out of camp after being invited as a tryout, but never seemed to stick full-time. This past season, Peters only played in 29 games, recording no goals and no assists, finishing with a plus/minus of -5. His limited ability as nothing more than an enforcer really never fit in, and there’s no love lost here for this move.

Lamoriello explained that, with the play of Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond and the addition of Jason Arnott, their wasn’t enough room on the roster for Peters.

“With Jason Arnott coming our size and strength is there and also (Pierre-Luc Letourneau) Leblond has improved so much and we don’t want to take a spot on the roster away from a young player,” Lamoriello said to Tom Gulitti in explaining the decison to waive/buy out Peters.

Pandolfo, however, deserves the upmost respect from Devils fans. Pando, as he was known by teammates, was drafted by the Devils in the second round (32nd overall) in 1993. Pandolfo was a member of the 2000 and 2003 Stanley Cup championship teams, pairing with John Madden to form two-thirds of a great checking line. Pandolfo’s defensive game earned him the spot as a finalist for the Selke trophy in 2007. Never an offensive force, Pandolfo will finish his Devils career with 99 goals and 124 assists in 819 career games. He tallied 11 goals and 22 assists in 131 playoff games.

Pandolfo, when healthy, rarely ever missed a game. The left-winger holds the fifth-longest consecutive games streak for the Devils, playing in 307 consecutive games. That streak came to an end November 28, 2007, when he sustained pubic bone ligament damage after being hit into the boards in a game against Dallas. He missed 28 games with the injury, and never seemed the same since.

Since Pandolfo is injured, he needed to request to be put on waivers. After speaking with Lamoriello, Pandolfo asked to be placed on waivers. The left-winger told Gulitti he wanted an opportunity somewhere else.

“I asked him if he would do it for me,” Pandolfo said. “Obviously, the last two years have been a difficult two years and I don’t want to go through the same exact thing next year. I still want to play and this gives me an opportunity to try to sign with another team.”

Last season, it seemed like Pandolfo found a way into Lemaire’s doghouse. The left-winger never got into a groove, only playing 52 games. He also sustained a rotator-cuff injury after a hit from ex-Devil Mike Rupp while playing the Pittsburgh Penguins October 24. The winger wasn’t happy with the way last season ended, when he was a healthy scratch for all five games of the playoffs. According to reports, he was notified by the coaching staff through text message.

“I’m just bitter about what happened at the end of the year,” he said. “That’s not worth even going into.”

Continue reading for more of my take on Pandolfo’s time as a Devil.

Even with the way the season ended, Pandolfo still enjoyed his experience with the Devils. He admitted it would “be sad” to leave the Devils after 13 years with the team.

Pandolfo was one of the better defensive forwards to ever wear a Devils sweater. I remember idolizing him because of his strong defensive play, and there was always a calming feeling when Pandolfo came out on the penalty kill. He scored some big goals, including three game winners this season. He always rose to the occasion, shutting down the other team’s top line time in and time out.

While his defensive presence will be missed, the sad fact is that Pandolfo wasn’t the same player the past few years. He constantly battled injuries, and he never seemed to look completely healthy on the ice. While it’s a tough decision, it’s also a business decision. While Pandolfo never got the recognition Scott Stevens or Ken Daneyko did, I believe his role as a defensive forward was integral in winning both the 2000 and 2003 Stanley Cup championships. The Devils will lose a class act and a great team player, but it’s a smart business decision.