In a surprising move on Monday the Dallas Stars signed former Minnesota Wild winger Mark Parrish to a contract.

Parrish had been playing with the New York Islanders AHL affiliate but ended that contract to sign a two-way, pro-rated deal worth $500K if he stays with the Stars and $100K if demoted to the minors.

Given the Stars' recent struggles, culiminating in a humiliating 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins, it appears Stars management may be planning to shake things up a little.

Parrish is a former six-time 20+ goal-scorer who struggled to adjust to the Wild's tight defensive system and was bought out of the remainder of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Unfortunately Parrish was unable to find any takers in this summer's market, forcing him to accept an AHL contract with the Islanders.

If he can regain that former twenty-goal ability he could be a welcome addition to the Stars but it remains to be seen how well he'll adapt to their game. Given the lack of movement in the NHL trade market at this time of the season it's an affordable risk for the Stars.