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No surprises: Flyers looking to add defensemen at trade deadline

Paul Holmgren

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren stifles a smile while answering a question during a news conference before an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, in Philadelphia. The Flyers announced a three-year contract extension for Holmgren on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

AP

The Flyers aren’t going to make excuses for their poor defensive play of late. They’re without Chris Pronger the rest of the year and they’ve been rolling with more than a few rookies on the blue line to make up for other injuries and poor play.

To put it simply, the Flyers could use some help on defense and with the trade deadline coming up, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren is on the prowl. As Holmgren tells Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly.com, however, finding what will help the Flyers go deep in the playoffs won’t be easy.

“Everybody is looking for defensemen,” Holmgren said. “Even the teams that have it try to load it up this time of year with defensemen.”

Who’s out there to try and grab? Panaccio mentions Montreal’s Hal Gill and Dallas’ Nicklas Grossman as possible targets. Gill has a winning pedigree after being a key part of the Penguins’ defense in their 2009 Stanley Cup run. Grossman is just 27-years-old and plays a sound defensive game.

The Flyers’ recent struggles may be altering how things will set up for the future, but if Philly thinks that young guys like Erik Gustafsson and Marc-Andre Bourdon are the missing links to a Stanley Cup, it might be another disappointing year in Philadelphia.