Brunner was placed on unconditional waivers Thursday, presumably for the purpose of his release, Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record reports. GM Lou Lamoriello wouldn't confirm that the Devils were terminating Brunner's contract, but that seems like the logical outcome here after the winger refused an assignment to AHL Albany following his removal from the 23-man roster last week. With no teams interested in his services at the NHL level, Brunner is expected to play the remainder of the season in Switzerland, where he'll attempt to restore some value in pursuit of a payday in North America next season.