Timonen future still uncertain; Rinaldo faces hearing

Defenseman Kimmo Timonen's future is still clouded, injured goalie Steve Mason is making progress and he will probably play next week, and winger Zac Rinaldo will have a disciplinary hearing with the NHL on Monday, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said during a conference call with reporters Wednesday evening.

Timonen, 39, one of the best defensemen in Flyers history, has not played this season because of blood clots. Timonen and Hextall were among those on a conference call with doctors earlier Wednesday.

Last week, Hextall said the blood clots had cleared from Timonen's lungs but remained in his legs. Hextall said Wednesday it was still up in the air whether Timonen would play again.

"We don't have any answers; we're going through all the due diligence that needs to be done, rather than make a rash decision," said Hextall, who reiterated that Timonen wants to play if his health is not in jeopardy.

Hextall said that there was a lot of "gray area" in the process and that Timonen and the Flyers wanted to make sure that they were getting "every piece of information we can" before making a decision, which could come as early as Thursday.

"This isn't a knee we're talking about. . . . This is more than that," Hextall said.

He added: "I don't honestly know right now what the decision is going to be because I need to hear [more] from doctors."

Hextall said that "in the end, it will come down to a doctor's recommendation" and that a decision will be made considering the risks involved.

Rinaldo will have a 12:30 p.m. hearing by telephone with the NHL on Monday, at which point he will tell his side of his five-minute boarding penalty on Pittsburgh's Kris Letang on Tuesday in the opening period of a 3-2 overtime win over the Penguins. Letang was injured and did not return to action.

Because of his history - Rinaldo has had two- and four-game suspensions in the past - the winger is expected to receive at least a six-game suspension.

After the fight-filled game, Rinaldo said, "I changed the whole game, man. Who knows what the game would have been like if I didn't do what I did?"

"He feels horrible about what happened; he regrets what he said, and some of it was in jest," Hextall said. "He's upset the player is hurt, he's upset with the comments, and he regrets them."

Hextall said "hitting is part of Zac's game" and that he "plays on the edge. Whether he went over the line or not, that will be up to the league to dictate."

As for Mason, Hextall said he would undergo treatment for what is believed to be a right knee injury on Thursday. "He's doing better, he's improving and we're hopeful that he'll be back after the [all-star] break," the GM said.

Hextall said "at this point," Ray Emery will remain the backup goalie when Mason returns. That means Rob Zepp appears headed back to the AHL's Phantoms.

The Flyers resume action Tuesday against visiting Arizona, but Hextall said he didn't think Mason would be ready for that game, making the Jan. 29 matchup with Winnipeg his likely return. Mason has missed the last six games, during which the Flyers have gone 3-3.

In another matter, Hextall said rookie center Scott Laughton was still day to day with an unspecified injury, which may be a concussion.