Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours from the crew at Last Word on Hockey. We’re nearing the end of November and it hasn’t been a very forgiving month for some teams. One of those teams is the Montreal Canadiens. With a ton of injuries and the team in a downward spiral, the club is looking outside the organization for answers. In this edition of NHL Rumours, we focus on the Canadiens need for help up front and being linked to current St. Louis Blues forward Alexandre Texier.
All NHL Rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours: Canadiens Linked to Blues Forward
Rumour: In Elliotte Friedman’s latest written version of 32 Thoughts, Friedman speculates on the Canadiens being interested in Alexandre Texier.
Analysis: This ties into what was reported about the Canadiens looking for a stopgap at centre. While Texier has played mostly on the wing, he is capable of playing the centre position and has done so during his short NHL career while he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, no matter where he slotted into in Montreal’s lineup, he could be effective given the state of the team. The Canadiens are decimated with injuries, having lost Patrik Laine early in the season and, more recently, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach. Their play is certainly struggling because of this.
The Canadiens have scored just 10 goals in their last five games, sporting a 0-4-1 record over that span. Texier could open up another scoring option for the club that desperately needs goals. Though his numbers aren’t groundbreaking, he has scored double digits multiple times during his career. During the 2021-22 season, Texier scored 11 goals and 20 points in 36 games. He then followed this up with 12 goals and 30 points in 76 games during the 2023-24 season. This, after spending a season in Europe while dealing with some family tragedies. This type of offence could certainly help the Canadiens at this point. Even if it’s short-term.
Change of Scenery Much Needed for Texier
Since joining the St. Louis Blues, Texier has clearly fallen out of favour with the club. This is even more evident by the Blues placing the forward on waivers on Thursday, November 20th. It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens, or any other team, decide to make the claim. Texier is on the final year of a two-year deal which has a cap hit of $2.1 million. Which, given his offensive abilities to go along with his effectiveness on the penalty kill, is worth taking a chance on. If no one claims Texier, Friedman believes he could be placed on waivers with the purpose of terminating his contract, making him free to sign wherever he wishes.
It clearly hasn’t worked out for him in St. Louis, and a change of scenery could be exactly what is needed to spark Texier to get back to playing at the ability he is capable of. At 26 years old, he could be a perfect fit for the middle-six for the Canadiens. If they make the claim or trade for Texier if he doesn’t get claimed (as they may elect to do that to rid themselves of one of their 50 roster positions) it presents very little risk. As mentioned, he’s in the last year of a contract that pays him just $2.1 million. If he doesn’t pan out, they can elect to not re-sign him in the offseason.
If his contract gets terminated, the Canadiens could sign him for even less for the rest of the season. Serving the stopgap that they’re rumoured to be looking for. Either way, this could be a low-risk, high-reward option for the Canadiens. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few 24-48 hours.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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