dropped to 23 goals. Cheechoo's production dropped further the following season, where he scored just 12 goals. Ottawa Senators On September 12, 2009, Cheechoo was traded by the Sharks (along with Michalek and a second-round draft pick) to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Dany Heatley and a fifth-round pick. On February 12, 2010, Cheechoo was placed on waivers by the Senators after they acquired Matt Cullen from the Carolina Hurricanes. On February 13, 2010, he cleared waivers and was reassigned to the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa's AHL affiliate. He was recalled in the playoffs and played one game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. On June 28, he was again placed on waivers by the Senators. Cheechoo, who was heading into the final year of a five-year contract signed with San Jose in 2006, was reportedly owed $3.5 million for the 2010–11 season. On June 29, the Senators bought out the final year of his contract, making him a free agent. Later career Following his buy out, Cheechoo was invited to the Dallas Stars training camp on September 4, 2010. He was released from the tryout 22 days later, on September 26, following his appearance in two pre-season games where he failed to register a point and posted a −2 rating. Despite his efforts, Dallas felt Cheechoo could not out perform their current players and therefore released him so he would have the opportunity to join another team. On October 5, 2010, Cheechoo returned to the Sharks organization, signing a professional try-out contract with their AHL affiliate, the Worcester Sharks, to re-unite with his first professional head coach Roy Sommer, who previously coached him with the Kentucky Thoroughblades. On July 12, 2011, Cheechoo was signed by the St. Louis Blues to a one-year, two-way contract. While playing with the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen, Cheechoo earned his 500th career professional point on November 27 against the Chicago Wolves. A free agent upon the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Cheechoo was belatedly signed to a professional try-out contract with the Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL during the midpoint of the 2012–13 season on January 20, 2013. On July 10, 2013, Cheechoo left North America and signed a one-year contract with Croatian club, Medveščak Zagreb of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In May 2014, Cheechoo signed a two-year deal with KHL club Dinamo Minsk from Belarus. In 2016, he signed a one-year deal with