The Flyers never came close to making a deal in the last few days, Holmgren said, adding the Flyers had inquired about acquiring feisty Buffalo center Paul Gaustad, but that was before they dealt for Kubina and Grossman.
The price would have been steep, he said of a deal for Gaustad, who was traded to Nashville on Monday for a first-round draft pick. (Nashville also received a fourth-rounder.)
Gaustad would have given the Flyers some needed size (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) up the middle, and someone who wins most of his face-offs (nearly 57 percent). The Flyers are 26th in the 30-team NHL in face-offs, winning 48.5 percent.
The Flyers lead the NHL by averaging 3.3 goals per game; they are 27th in goals allowed (2.98 per game).
Holmgren said the Flyers had "lacked some things on our back end" because of Chris Pronger's season-ending concussion, "and we addressed those issues without giving up anyone on our team."
In two separate deals, the Flyers acquired Kubina and Grossman for a second-round draft pick, two third-rounders, a fourth-rounder, and minor-league Jon Kalinski.
Holmgren said the Flyers' defensive shortcoming were a function of playing "a little loosey-goosey from time to time, and obviously our goaltending needs to be better."
With 21 games left, Holmgren said, the hope is the Flyers "start to tighten it up and play the style we need to play to be successful down the stretch."
Winger James van Riemsdyk and defenseman Matt Carle (a prospective free agent) were probably the most relieved Flyers; their names had been bandied about in trade rumors.
One national hockey writer said San Jose offered goalie Antti Niemi for van Riemsdyk, but the Flyers turned it down.
Said Holmgren: "James is signed here for a long time. You can't do anything about teams calling about him."
Van Riemsdyk, who said he is almost back into "hockey shape" after missing about five weeks with a concussion, was happy he wasn't dealt.
"Like I've been saying all along, I love all the guys on the team and really like it here," he said. "I think we're capable of doing great things, and I'm glad to be a part of it."
As for Carle, Holmgren said he hopes to re-sign the puck-moving defenseman, a player who is one of the team's top shot-blockers. "There's mutual interest," he said.
Earlier in the day, the Flyers sent forward Eric Wellwood to Adirondack so he would be on their AHL playoff roster. If he stayed with the Flyers at Monday's trade deadline, he would have had to remain on the parent team's roster for the rest of the season.
Wellwood is one of numerous Phantoms who could be recalled. Teams are allowed four recalls until their minor-league season is finished.
Without Wellwood, the Flyers have about $1.5 million in cap space. They could pick up a player on waivers, though they would have to drop someone to get to the 50-player limit. But that player would not be eligible for the playoffs because he would have been added after the trade deadline.
The Flyers, who will play in San Jose on Tuesday, did not pursue a backup goalie, sources said.
Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at scarchidi@phillynews.com or on Twitter @BroadStBull.
