Why Alexandre Texier Is An Underrated Signing

The first thing that everyone will discuss when talking about Texier’s game so far is just how good his hands are when it comes to the shootout. His game-winner in the shootout on Saturday was a sign that the Habs have a serious gem in their back pocket if ever they need to go to the shootout. Just watching his shootout attempts throughout his entire career makes him a very underrated player, but teams need more than just that for a player to be able to stick in the NHL, or else Linus Omark and Robbie Schremp would have had longer NHL careers surviving on just their hands for the skills competition.

Luckily for Texier, he can play a solid forechecking game that allows him to be very useful at 5-on-5. This style of play has allowed him to keep up with Ivan Demidov in the offensive zone and even get a few scoring chances for his first goal as a Hab. Unfortunately, due to the injuries to players like Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach, Texier is playing higher in the lineup than he should be. He has yet to truly look out of place on a line with Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. This is a great sign for the French player, who has looked like he may have found a role with the Canadiens.

Texier has been getting better in every game that he has played with the Habs as he continues to figure out where he fits in the Canadiens’ system. Unfortunately for him, with the Blues, he was never able to be given a clear role, and as a result, he looked more like someone who just didn’t fit on their roster.

Now in Montreal, Texier is looking like the 3rd-line forward that he had become with the Columbus Blue Jackets before signing with the Blues in the summer of 2024. In reality, Texier is likely an everyday 2-way NHL winger that can play up and down the lineup and contribute about 10-15 goals and 30-35 points when he’s at his best. Meanwhile, his true bread and butter will always be the shootout, where he continues to score on the majority of his attempts throughout his career. 

When the team gets back to being healthy, expect Texier to be back in the bottom six full-time, as he will get to play against weaker defensive pairings, which may allow him to start putting up more offence. As it stands, he is currently playing above his pay grade at even strength, scoring 2 assists in 6 games with the Habs. Once he goes back to a bottom-six role, his secondary offence and strong two-way game will stand out more as he plays in the correct spot.

What are your thoughts on Texier so far?