After being decimated by brutal, back-to-back long-term injuries to key forwards Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach, the Canadiens were in desperate need of help. Any kind of help. Every night seemed to require another chair in the press box for the latest injured player, and Montreal quickly intensified its search for forward depth.
They eventually landed on 26-year-old Alexandre Texier, whose contract had recently been terminated by the St. Louis Blues. The Canadiens signed him for the remainder of the season with very little expectation attached. But six games into his stint in Montreal, Texier has quietly become a welcome addition, and over his last three games in particular, his impact has started to stand out.
Since being promoted to the second line alongside Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen, Texier has brought speed, energy and tempo to a trio that has clicked immediately. Those strengths were tough to notice on the fourth line, but the move up the lineup has finally allowed his skill set to shine. A second-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017, Texier has always had a unique offensive touch, and if fans still questioned that, his incredible shootout winner in Saturday’s victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs settled the debate.
His style of play does not align with the traditional expectations of a fourth-line forward in the NHL, and that mismatch may have contributed to his struggles with the St. Louis Blues. Martin St. Louis recognized that quickly and placed him on the second line ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Texier rewarded that decision with his best performance as a Canadien, logging a season-high 17:56 of ice time. His line controlled shifts, sustained offensive-zone pressure, created high-quality chances and looked like a natural complement to Montreal’s young talent.
That strong play continued in the two games that followed, with Texier proving to be an excellent fit on that line and helping bring the best out of Demidov, who has been playing impressive hockey all season but has been particularly sharp lately. Texier has admitted this is likely his last chance in the NHL, and so far he is making the most of it.
Since Newhook’s injury in November, St. Louis has rotated several players on the second line in search of the right fit beside Demidov and Kapanen. For now, Texier appears as close to an ideal solution as Montreal has found. His speed matches Newhook’s, he consistently wins puck battles on the forecheck and he can feed Demidov in spots where the rookie can immediately put his creativity to work.
Texier has only recorded one point and carries a minus-four rating, but the underlying play has been far more encouraging. Canadiens fans and management should be pleased with how effective he has looked given the circumstances. He has helped fill a major hole, and with more time on that line, he should only continue building chemistry and improving defensively.
Where he fits once the Canadiens get healthy remains unclear, but that is not Montreal’s concern right now. With a chaotic December unfolding, the team should simply be thrilled that a low-cost addition like Texier is contributing in a meaningful way and helping steady the lineup until Newhook, Dach and Patrik Laine return.