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Devils coach Pete DeBoer instructs his players during Thursday's morning skate in Philadelphia. (Rich Chere/NJ Advance Media)

PHILADELPHIA — The Devils will have their leading goal-scorer back when they face the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center.

Mike Cammalleri, who missed the last two games with a bone bruise near his buttocks, said he is surprised to be able to come back so soon after suffering the injury Dec. 6.

“Especially the way I felt after the game (against the Washington Capitals). I could barely walk out of the rink,” Cammalleri revealed. “To feel this good this soon is exciting. Hopefully I’ll be uninhibited tonight.”

The Devils are happy to have him back.

“We miss him. He’s been one of our best forwards all year,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “He brings a different dimension to our team when he’s in the lineup, so it’s nice to have him back. Zubie’s not going to play but he’s getting closer. We’ll come up with a lineup from there.”

Although the Devils have been calling it a muscle pull in his buttocks, Cammalleri’s injury is actually a bone bruise.

"Really, really painful, actually," Cammalleri said. "I got kneed. I remember going into a kind of puck battle and I think it was a knee that hit me.



"When you bruise a bone like that you get nerve and muscle damage around it."

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The Devils put winger Damien Brunner on unconditional waivers Thursday. If he clears at noon Friday and his contract with the Devils is ended, he would be able to play in Europe.

Swisshockeynews.ch reported that Brunner will join HC Lugano after he clears unconditional waivers.

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Rich Chere may be reached at rchere@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ledger_NJDevils. Find NJ.com on Facebook.