Flyers Notes: Is Timonen returning? Hextall says issue is complex

About 90 minutes after Flyers coach Craig Berube strongly implied that veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen was going to play this season, general manager Ron Hextall called an impromptu news conference Thursday night and explained that a decision was still in the works.

"I just want to clarify that there has been no definitive decision on Kimmo coming back," Hextall said. "There's still a process going on."

Timonen, 39, has missed the season because of blood clots in his lungs and leg. The clots in his lung have cleared, the Flyers said.

Hextall said he expects a decision to be made this weekend. He called the situation "very complex, and to try to understand everything that's going on with the blood disorder and what Kimmo has to go through, there's a lot to it. It's certainly the most complex medical thing that I've ever been through."

Hextall said all parties involved "want to be on the same page and understand where it's at, and when that happens, we'll come out with a decision."

Timonen was watching television when he saw a report that he was returning. "He communicated with us: 'I'm coming back?' " Hextall said.

Asked how long it would take Timonen to get into game shape if he is cleared, Berube said, "It depends on the person. He is a pretty smart individual. I think he has kept himself in really good shape. Obviously he has to get on the ice and really put some work in, but Kimmo plays a lot of the game with his brain."

Getting Timonen back, Berube said, would be like adding a key addition in a trade. "It will be a big boost," he said.

If Timonen returns, the Flyers would have to clear salary-cap space to make room for his $2 million cap hit.

Rookie center Scott Laughton skated for the second straight day and continued to make strides. "It's been a good week, so far," he said.

Laughton, 20, confirmed he has been sidelined for the last six games because of a concussion, suffered against Washington on Jan. 14.

Laughton said the hit, administered by the Capitals' Matt Niskanen, was clean. "It was shoulder to chest . . . and I have to keep my head up," he said.

Niskanen is "like Eddie Haskell," Washington coach Barry Trotz told reporters recently, comparing him to the character on the old Leave It to Beaver TV show. "He's got the young face and all that, but he'll run into you, he'll give you the stick."

Laughton seems doubtful for Saturday against Toronto.

"I think getting my legs back" is the biggest hurdle, he said. "I'm going to try to get back in the rhythm of things and we'll go from there."

Left winger Petr Straka again replaced Michael Raffl, who was ill.