Photo credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens added some depth to their forward group by adding Alexandre Texier off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.
Only a day after they gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 5-2 drubbing, the Montreal Canadiens decided to add a bit more support to their lineup.
Milstein represents Texier so it makes sense as to why he would announce the deal, and it ends the veteran’s two-year stint with the Blues.
What Montreal’s claim of Alexandre Texier really says about where they stand, and what it means for Toronto
Over 39 games he posted 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) which is a far cry from his output when he was in Columbus.
Over five seasons there, he posted 79 points in 201 games (34 goals, 45 assists) while also adding 75 blocks and 141 hits.
Montreal has a slew of new faces this season so bringing in Texier adds another new facet to the team, and his status as one of the only French-born NHL players will also endear him to the francophone community in Quebec.
But the real message here isn’t about Texier –it’s about flexibility.
Montreal can keep adding low-cost pieces because they have the cap space, the roster room, and no pressure to win immediately.
Toronto can’t do that right now, even if they wanted to. And in a division this tight, every free upgrade Montreal makes tightens the gap the Leafs are trying to escape.
What Montreal’s Texier claim quietly exposes about Toronto’s lack of flexibility
Plus, if Toronto wanted to add they would need to find roster space and cap space somehow, and though they can afford it with their LTIR relief; when those players return where do you find the money?
Montreal has the luxury of not only being able to add for basically free, but also shows how Toronto is so handcuffed by their financial instability that they can’t even add a player off waivers or a cheap free agent.
So until Toronto is able to clear space both in the books and on the roster, they are going to keep watching as their rivals add more pieces to give them a fighting shot come postseason.
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Maple Leafs division rival lands Alexandre Texier
Do you think Toronto needed to add Alexandre Texier to the roster?