Jon Merrill (head) practiced with a group of players not suiting up for Sunday evening's preseason game against Philadelphia, according to the Bergen Record's Tom Gulitti.

Merrill (head) practiced with a group of players not suiting up for Sunday evening's preseason game against Philadelphia, according to The Record's Tom Gulitti.

Analysis:

This is Merrill's first practice since colliding with teammate Ruslan Fedotenko. The Devils have noted that they will not expose Merrill in preseason contests, adding that he should be ready to go when the puck drops on the regular season.