The Montreal Canadiens need a break. After starting the season hot, the Habs are 1-3-3 in their past seven games. One reason is because of the influx of injuries, and if this team was still in rebuilding mode, dipping into the prospects pool or into organizational depth wouldn't have been a bad idea until they got healthy again.
But if the Canadiens want to keep pace with the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins, they need players with experience, who have proven to be at least moderate-level producers. Elliotte Friedman named one player who could be up for grabs very soon in his latest 32 Thoughts column.
Friedman wrote, "Less than one week after David Kampf terminated his contract to stay in the NHL at a lower salary, there are rumours that Alexandre Texier is considering the same. He has played only one game for St. Louis since Oct. 28 and is making $2.1 million.
"Would Texier make any sense for Montreal? The Canadiens are looking to plug injury holes. The standings are tight, so few white flags are waving."
Alexandre Texier would make a great fit if the Canadiens can snag him
Since Friedman had written that piece, it has been confirmed that Texier will be designated for non-roster status, per Mike Meyer of Blue Notes Rising. Texier never fit in with the Blues, playing just 39 games with the franchise and putting up 12 points and six goals.
It would make sense for the Blues to move on from him, but that doesn't mean Texier isn't a good player to bring in to Quebec. Before landing in St. Louis, Texier played a solid middle-six role for the Blue Jackets. He put up 30 points and 12 goals in 78 games in 2023-24, his best season in Columbus.
This shows us that Texier can factor into the same role with the Canadiens if he landed with them, before moving into an exclusive bottom-six role once the team gets healthy again. In that case, adding Texier would be a bonus for the Canadiens, as he would add depth to the forward group and give the Habs a deep top nine.
Best yet, Texier would bring help as a defensive forward, and that's something the Canadiens badly need with goaltenders Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault struggling. Texier's on-ice save percentage at even strength over the past three seasons has been 91.0 or better, and he's also not afraid to land body checks.
Should Texier go on waivers from non-roster status, or if the Blues end up terminating his contract, the Canadiens need to be paying attention. The second Texier either goes through the waiver process or is free to sign with another team through contract termination, then the Canadiens should make their intentions known and do all they can to bring him to Quebec.
Update: Texier has been put on waivers, per Friedman.