Ray Emery joining Flyers for tryout

The Flyers are giving free-agent Ray Emery a tryout and may sign him as their No. 3 goalie, general manager Ron Hextall said in a conference call Tuesday night.

Emery, 33, played two stints with the Flyers, and he will report to their morning skate Wednesday. He struggled in 31 games with the team last season, compiling a 3.06 goals-against average and .894 save percentage.

The move gives the team insurance in case Steve Mason or rookie Anthony Stolarz is injured, Hextall said. Emery would not be eligible for the postseason if the Flyers earned a playoff berth.

Most recently, Emery spent time in the German Elite League. He was invited by the Flyers because of an injury to Phantoms goalie Jason LaBarbera.

Bringing in Emery, Hextall said, was not a reflection on Stolarz. "We just needed a third guy to give us depth," he said.

Hextall said that Michal Neuvirth, sidelined with a knee injury, should begin skating in five or six days, but that it was a "stretch" that he would be ready for the final weekend of the regular season.

If the Flyers sneak into the playoffs, there's a chance they will face Washington, the Eastern Conference's top seed, in the opening round.

That will give the Capitals extra motivation when the teams meet Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center.

"I think we know there's a pretty good possibility they're going to be the team," Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen told reporters Tuesday. "It's a huge game for them. They're playing for their playoff lives and that's a good situation for us to help us get battle ready and get into that mode as well."

Braden Holtby, the Capitals' all-star goalie, said the Flyers "can generate goals in a lot of different ways. They have big bodies with speed. We've never taken them lightly, that's for sure."

Washington coach Barry Trotz is among the growing list of Shayne Gostisbehere admirers.

"He's really added a dynamic part to their game," Trotz said of the Flyers' gifted rookie defenseman. "They're a team that's pretty responsible. He really has helped them, especially in the overtimes. . . . What I like about him is he's a fantastic skater. From afar he's really good at supporting the rush. A lot of his stuff comes after they enter the zone. He's dynamic at getting shots through and quickly."