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Paul Holmgren compares Pavel Kubina to Eric Desjardins

Tampa Bay Lightning v St. Louis Blues

ST. LOUIS - SEPTEMBER 20: Pavel Kubina #13 of the Tampa Bay Lightning looks to pass the puck against the St. Louis Blues during a pre-season game at the Scottrade Center on September 20, 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

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Pavel Kubina hasn’t suited up for the Philadelphia Flyers yet, but he’s already being compared to a famous former Flyers defenseman with a legacy for helping a power play.

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren tells CSNPhilly.com’s Tim Panaccio that acquiring Kubina gives them a right-handed shooting defenseman with a penchant for scoring goals the likes of which they haven’t had since Eric Desjardins.

“[Kubina] is something we don’t have. He’s a right-handed shot. He’s a big body who can help out on our power play and penalty killing. He’s an all-situational defenseman. An experienced guy who has won a Stanley Cup.

“Over the last three days here, we’ve added a couple bigger bodies who can help us in our own end in different areas of the game.”

Kubina has 55 career power play goals and he’s a big body that joins Nicklas Grossman as the new guys on the block in Philly. Adding 500 pounds of defense to a unit that’s been sorely hurting since Chris Pronger’s season ended is a good way to try and shore things up for Ilya Bryzgalov in goal.

With Grossman providing the defense and Kubina giving the Flyers a little extra offense, perhaps things can get turned around all over the ice.