New D-man Grossman happy in a hockey town

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VOORHEES, N.J. -- Following his afternoon nap in Dallas Thursday afternoon, newly acquired Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossman received a stunning phone call.

It was Dallas Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk, calling to tell him he had been traded.

I was getting ready to go to the game against the Calgary Flames and got a call from Nieuwendyk, said Grossman, who was traded to the Flyers for a second-round pick in the 2012 draft and a third-round pick in the 2013 draft. It was shocking at first but Im happy to be here.

There was a little shock and some mixed feelings, but once things settled down, I got really excited.

Coming from a mediocre hockey market in Dallas, where he scored three goals and had 38 assists in 333 games over six seasons, Grossman, a former second-round pick of the Stars in 2004, is happy to be in a big hockey market.

Theres a lot of good history here and its a big hockey town, Grossman said at SkateZone on Friday. The fans are really into it. Im really excited to come here and play in a hockey-based town. Its going to be exciting to be on this team.

The Flyers and their 23rd-ranked defense were in desperate need of defensive reinforcements after allowing 14 goals in their last four games. Peter Laviolettes club needed a boost on the back end and believes it found one in the 6-foot-4, 230-pound 27-year-old.

Hes a big defender, all you have to do is look at him, Laviolette said. He will help out in a lot of areas. He makes a good pass, blocks shots, hes a penalty killer. Hes another guy who will help back there.

My type of play is a defensive defenseman. I try to use my body and play physical, Grossman said. I want to be hard to play against, be a solid defenseman and bring some toughness. Thats what I can contribute.

In his first practice with the team, the Flyers paired Grossman, who makes 1.625 million and is a unrestricted free-agent-to-be, with 6-foot-2, 223-pound Andrej Meszaros, to create the teams largest defensive grouping.

Kimmo Timonen was matched with Brayden Coburn. Matt Carle was with Marc-Andre Bourdon and the potential scratches are the pairing of Erik Gustafsson with Andreas Lilja.

Its fun, Meszaros said. Once weve played a few games together, well be fine. The important thing is to talk. I dont see problem there. Its going to be hard on him learning the system, but Im sure hell be fine.

While Grossman may need time to adjust to Laviolettes system and figure out his role on a team in the Eastern Conference hunt, the Stars former leading shot-blocker has his eyes on a long playoff run.

Thats what you play for, to be in the playoffs, said Grossman, who also shrugged off thinking about his pending free-agency. These guys have a really good, solid team and Im excited to be apart of it. Its what you battle for and Im going to make the best of it.

E-mail Ryan Bright at ryanbright13@gmail.com.

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