The Washington Capitals re-signed left wing Jason Chimera to a two-year, $4 million contract extension Friday.
In 16 games this season, the 34-year-old has scored five goals -- two more than he had in 47 last season -- and assisted on six others as a member of Washington's third line along with Mikhail Grabovski and Joel Ward. The trio has accounted for 10 goals and 22 points at even-strength since joining forces nine games ago.
Just last week, Chimera earned NHL Third Star of the Week honors after a career-high four-point performance in Washington's 7-0 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers last Friday.
Chimera, acquired in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for then-captain Chris Clark and Milan Jurcina nearly four years ago, will earn a slight raise starting next season; his current two-year contract is worth a total of $3.5 million. He is the ninth Capital to sign a two-year extension since February, joining Braden Holtby, John Erskine, Jack Hillen, Eric Fehr, Aaron Volpatti, Michal Neuvirth, Tomas Kundratek and Marcus Johansson.
With Chimera now locked up through the end of the 2015-16 season, Grabovski is the Capitals' lone unrestricted free agent next summer.
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