Steve Mason's time with the Philadelphia Flyers may not necessarily be coming to an end.

That was the message relayed Wednesday by general manager Ron Hextall after Michal Neuvirth's two-year, $5-million extension was announced.

Related: Neuvirth extension a curious move by Flyers

And while Mason is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, Neuvirth's extension doesn't close the door on one of his own.

"We liked the term, and we liked the cap hit," Hextall said of Neuvirth's deal, per Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly. "I did not want to go into July 1 with no goalie because that is a recipe for disaster. So we felt like this one was a reasonable deal, a reasonable term."

Hextall added, "That doesn't suggest we won't sign Mase, but just that the timing ... I wanted to get something done before the (trade) deadline."

Something to keep in mind is the upcoming expansion draft, where the freshly signed Neuvirth can be exposed and potentially selected by the Golden Knights. That would allow the Flyers to protect prospect Anthony Stolarz while addressing the starter's job in free agency, be it with Mason or otherwise.

Neuvirth is under contract through the 2018-19 season, while Mason is expected to get the start Thursday against Florida.

Hextall further admitted neither Neuvirth nor Mason has played up to expectations this season, but at least some uncertainty has been set aside.

"We're in a lot better position than a day ago. I didn't like having two guys as UFAs. We like Neuvy's deal. It's a fair deal. And when he's playing hockey, he's pretty damn good."

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