Jason Chimera is one of the ones who got away. He was drafted by the Oilers all the way back in 1997 but the club let him go before he hit his stride in the mid-2000s. Now, at 39 years of age, Chimera could be looking at a reunion with the club that gave up on him 15 years ago. Does he have anything left to offer?

A local product, Chimera was drafted by the Oilers in the fifth-round of the 1997 NHL draft. After two more seasons in the WHL and a gritty three years riding the bus with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL, Chimera cracked the Oilers as a regular in 2002-03. He would play 126 games with the organization before getting dumped in a trade to the Coyotes.

After leaving Edmonton, Chimera figured it out. He scored a career-high 17 goals and 30 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2005-06 and then went on to solidify himself as an extremely effective middle-six forward who could kill penalties and chip in offensively. His best asset throughout his career has been his skating, allowing him to be an effective two-way player that can forecheck, backcheck, and play physically.

Oddly enough, Chimera had his two best seasons in his mid-30s. In 2015-16, he exploded for 20 goals with the Capitals after scoring only seven in the previous season. That rejuvenation earned him a two-year deal with the Islanders in free agency. He made good on one of those years, burying 20 goals again in 2016-17, but then fizzled out in 2017-18. Chimera scored just two goals last season in New York in 58 games before being dealt to Anaheim prior to the trade deadline. He’d score just one goal with the Ducks.

The 39-year-old Chimera is coming off the least productive season of his career since his 2002-03 campaign with the Oilers. Though this time last year Chimera was coming off back-to-back 20 goal seasons and appeared to be a very effective depth player, you have to wonder if he has anything left in the tank.

If we were getting something close to the Chimera of 2015-16 and 2016-17, I would certainly be all over this. Chimera, like I said, has always been a good two-way player who can chip in a little bit offensively. But after last season, it’s hard to imagine him still being effective at the NHL level.

Defensive forwards generally have ugly underlying numbers because of the role that they play. Their job isn’t to create offence but instead to shut down the other team. That said, Chimera’s 42.9 percent shot attempt differential was among the worst of all forwards in the NHL last season despite not always playing against the other team’s top competition. So not only did he only score three goals, but his defensive game was questionable too.

Given Edmonton’s tough salary cap situation, the team really can’t afford to take any gambles with the free cap room they have. Chimera could explode for a 20-goal season next year after a down year like he did with Washington back in 2015-16, but there’s a much better chance that he’s got nothing left in the tank. With that in mind, Chimera makes a lot more sense as a guy the team brings in on a professional tryout than somebody they commit actual dollars to in July.