The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired the rights to forward Vaclav Prospal in exchange for Nashville?s seventh-round pick (previously acquired), 196th overall, in this weekend?s NHL Entry Draft and a conditional pick in 2009, Executive Vice President and General Manager Jay Feaster announced today. "After assessing the pending free agent market and receiving a great deal of input from our prospective new owners, the decision was made to attempt to pursue Vinny Prospal for a return engagement to Tampa," Feaster said. "While we realize some of the risks involved in this strategy we also know that Prospal and [Vincent] Lecavalier have a very special chemistry together and getting Vinny back in the fold early would enable us to focus our time, attention and resources on other critical areas this summer while leaving our successful top line virtually in tact. At the end of the day, we felt that reacquiring Vinny now and attempting to negotiate a contract with him sooner rather than later was in the best interests of the organization." Prospal, a 6-foot-2, 198-pound native of Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, played in 62 games with the Lightning last season and recorded 29 goals with 57 points. He was traded to Philadelphia on February 25, 2008 in exchange for Alexandre Picard. Through February 23, 2008 Prospal, Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis were the NHL?s second-highest scoring trio, as they accounted for 80 goals and 202 points. Prospal netted a career-high 33 goals and also had 38 assists in 80 games with Tampa Bay and the Flyers in 2007-08.