Philadelphia has been depleted by injuries after losing Mike Richards, who tore a hamstring last weekend. They're also minus star forward Simon Gagne (concussion) and defenseman Derian Hatcher (knee).
The win, sealed by Daniel Briere's goal, ended the Flyers' 0-8-2 skid and pushed Philadelphia into a tie with Buffalo for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff berth.
Prospal, who is in the final season of his contract and could become unrestricted free agent this summer, is having a strong season. He's already scored a career-best 29 goals, along with 28 assists for 57 points in 62 games. An 11-year NHL veteran who broke into the NHL with the Flyers during the 1996-97 season, Prospal also played for Ottawa, Anaheim, Florida, and spent the past three seasons with the Lightning.
"With the loss of forwards due to recent injuries, we felt that we needed to add some help to that position," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "We believe that Vinny will bring experience with the ability to produce some offense."
In a statement released by the team, Prospal said he expected a trade.
"My name has been mentioned all around the paper, and there have been a lot of rumors," Prospal said. "Philadelphia is a great place to play because they have awesome fans, and I was drafted by Philadelphia."
Picard, the Flyers third-round pick in the 2003 draft, has played parts of three seasons in Philadelphia. He had no points in four games for the Flyers this year, and has three goals and 19 assists in 72 career games with the Flyers.
