Flyers Injury Update: Ray Emery, Kimmo Timonen

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VOORHEES, N.J. — Ray Emery practiced Friday at Skate Zone for the first time since re-aggravating a lower-body injury — presumably his groin or hip — this past Monday.

Emery was the only player on the ice today working with goalie coach Jeff Reese, as the Flyers had a complete day off in preparing for Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers.

While Emery is making progress, he won’t be dressing against the Rangers.

“It’s good to get on the ice,” he said after a 40-minute workout that included many up-and-down, side-to-side turning movements. “I felt pretty good on the ice. Hopefully, it’s consistent progress from here on.

“Those are control movements. Those are the movements as a goalie you are going to do tons of times in a game.”

General manager Ron Hextall said that Emery had been bothered by a “nagging” injury and it got worse during a Monday practice this week while the Flyers were in Carolina.

“I felt a little something during the game against Buffalo,” Emery said, referring to the Flyers' 3-2 shootout loss on Feb. 19. “We got a couple days off there and really pushed it in practice and had a setback.”

Emery does not have a timeline. The earliest he could return next week would be Tuesday against Calgary.

“It’s a balance of really working to get in there as soon as you can, but being patient and making sure you are ready to go,” Emery said.

Emery was supposed to play against Washington last week. He said he was not fully healthy that game but could have relieved if necessary.

Rob Zepp started and won the game, 3-2.

As for Emery’s return, “It should be soon,” he said.

Timonen situation
Defenseman Kimmo Timonen (blood clots) was expected to skate on Friday and did not. He is aiming to make his season debut Saturday against the Rangers.

However, for him to do that, the Flyers need to clear a roster spot.

As of noon Friday, no Flyer was reportedly on waivers.

Which means, either Timonen won’t play Saturday against the Rangers, or the Flyers were preparing to trade a player to create a roster spot for him.

It's also possible the Flyers are trying to trade Timonen before Monday's deadline and simply not play him here. Then they don't have to make a roster move.

With the Flyers losing twice this week, it's likely Hextall feels the team just isn't a sound bet to make the playoffs and keeping Timonen doesn't help their long-term plan — they'd be better off moving him since he is an asset.

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