The Lightning on Wednesday acquired the rights to defenseman Michal Sersen, who is in his third season for HC Slovan of the Slovakia elite league and on Tuesday played against Tampa Bay.

"He's a player our scouts have liked and we looked forward to seeing," said hockey ops chief, Brian Lawton, who gave up a 2009 fifth-round pick. "I thought he played very well. We need defensemen in our organization, so we're going to talk to him to see if there's any sincere interest in coming to North America."

Sersen, 22, and at 6-1, 200 pounds, had a goal and an assist and was minus-1 in his first nine games this season for HC Slovan. He had 10 goals, 23 points in his previous two seasons. In 2005-06, his last of three seasons in the QMJHL, the 2004 fifth-round draft pick of the Penguins, had 22 goals, 79 points in 63 games for Quebec.