Potential Free Agent Target: Alex Texier

Earlier in the week, Texier cleared waivers and was assigned to the Springfield Falcons, to the surprise of many, as there had been reports that the French forward had interest from multiple teams. With Saturday’s news, it now makes sense why he cleared. According to Pierre LeBrun, there were 9 NHL teams that showed interest in Texier. LeBrun also mentioned that Texier and his agent, Dan Milstein, have officially narrowed their list down to two Eastern Conference teams in preparation for when he becomes a free agent as of 2:00 pm ET, which many believe includes the Montreal Canadiens as one of those teams. With that being said, would Texier be a legitimate fit with the Habs?

https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1992313813971185896

It’s no secret that the Canadiens could use more depth at the NHL level, and Texier would provide just that for them. What Texier would bring to the Habs is being a player that can play up and down the lineup. Prior to joining the St. Louis Blues for the 2024-25 season, the forward from France had carved himself a role as a solid 3rd-line forward in the NHL that could play on the penalty kill as a responsible forward in his own end during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He would be able to be a 12-15 goal and 30-35 point guy over a full season in the NHL, while providing a good amount of speed and energy.

Unfortunately his time with the Blues hasn’t gone very well, with just 6 goals and 12 points in 39 games over the last two seasons. However, at 26 years old, Texier is still in the middle of his prime years as an NHL player. Therefore, a change of scenery could be all it takes for Texier to get back to the energy guy he was with the Blue Jackets just 2 years ago.

https://twitter.com/HabsDigest/status/1991518601300570567

Due to the fact that the Canadiens lost Alex Newhook for 4 months due to a fractured ankle, a lot of speed has been lost. While Texier may not be able to put up the points that Newhook can produce, he can take over his penalty kill minutes and take some pressure off Nick Suzuki in that area of the game. Not to mention that Texier is a versatile forward that can play both the wing and centre as a left-handed shot, much like Newhook in that area. However, he has never been a good faceoff man and has only won 35.7% of his draws throughout his career.

At the end of the day, if the Canadiens do bring Texier in for the rest of the season, he could potentially be the defensive forward replacement for Newhook while the Habs speedster recovers from ankle surgery.

Would you like to see the Habs bring in Alex Texier as a depth forward?