Player Discussion: Alexandre Texier

[OldGoaltender]

oh my goodness how shocking and unexpected amirite

amirite?

...

I TOLD Y'ALL SO
I TOLD YOU HE'D BE BACK
Y'ALL DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE ME

Now I must say I almost always believe you

 

[Cyclones Rock]

With this development Bedard becomes almost an afterthought.

 

[Viqsi]

With this development Bedard becomes almost an afterthought.

That's okay, because we were never going to get him anyways.

(Can she go two for two? Tune in May 8 to find out!)

 

[NotWendell]

I truly didn't think he was coming back. Bonus!

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

That's okay, because we were never going to get him anyways.

(Can she go two for two? Tune in May 8 to find out!)

Glad you were right and they were wrong... love Texier. I certainly hope you go 2 for 2, if we can secure the 1st pick I won't ask for anything for Christmas next year.

 

[Finner]

One building block more.

 

[Halberdier]

With addition of Texier, "Fantilli", Jiricek(?), 1 more of the young D prospects pool and ofc 1 year older KJ, Marchenko, healthy Z and probably most importantly a new coach, the next season looks really exciting.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

[

 

[Ice9]

Just another ingredient in the mixer IMO

 

[DougKnowsBest]

Hopefully that little show worked for other gm’s around the league assessing his value.

 

[aRussian]

I count myself amongst those that thought that Tex would not be seen again in a CBJ sweater. Cannot say how much I am happy to eat crow on this one. Know he's no savior of the team, but it's a big boost outside of some major free agency signing

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Hopefully that little show worked for other gm’s around the league assessing his value.

Yeah it’ll be really cool to see Texier on our third line next year! And after his first goal I’m sure you’ll be very pleased to see it too.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Alexandre Texier told the Blue Jackets in early March that he was ready to return to the NHL. But it wasn’t Texier’s words that drove the point home to Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.

“The smile on his face … He’s a different guy now,” Kekalainen said. “I already saw that smile when I went to meet with him (in Switzerland during the season), that he’s in a much better place (emotionally) now and he’s enjoying hockey again.

“When we had dinner, he was the old ‘Tex’ that we knew. He was smiling and joking and enjoying life, and I was really happy to see that.”

Texier was loaned to a club in Zurich, Switzerland, for this season, so that he could remain closer to his family in France following a series of family tragedies. He has declined to discuss them publicly.

“I’m feeling good right now, ready to take the next step,” Texier said in a video call from Nationwide Arena. “I don’t want to look back. I just want to look forward.

“I think it’s going to be a huge summer for me, and then just get ready for training camp. It’s going to be all new for me. I have to prove myself. I’m excited about this.”
Texier, 23 is returning to France with an offseason plan as written by Collins and his staff. He’ll play for France in next month’s IIHF World Championships, take off two weeks to recuperate and then start training for his return to the NHL.

“There’s still improvement in my game that I can work on, especially the physical part,” Texier said. “That’s what I’m focusing on this summer. It’s gonna be huge for me. You can always improve and always get better. I’m excited. I can’t wait for training camp in September.”

The last time Texier wore a Blue Jackets sweater was on Jan. 26, 2022. He suffered a broken finger that night in a game against Calgary and was knocked out of the lineup for four to six weeks. That March, however, the club announced that Texier was granted a leave of absence so that he could remain close to family. He missed the rest of the season.

Then, last August, a few weeks before training camp, it became known that Texier wasn’t ready to return to the NHL just yet. Essentially, the leave of absence was extended for the season. Zurich and Grenoble, Texier’s hometown, are only a four-hour drive apart. They’re in the same time zone.

In 46 games with Zurich SC, Texier had 13-22-35, a plus-16 rating and 30 penalty minutes. He played left wing exclusively, he said.

“I’m pretty thankful for that,” Texier said. “The Blue Jackets helped me since Day 1 and they’re still helping me now. They believed in me. Now I have to prove I can be a top player and help the team. That’s what I’m working on this summer, to get ready.

“Now I don’t really want to talk about the last year. It’s the past. Now I’m focused on this year. I’m feeling great. My body feels great, my head feels great. … I’m just excited for the new opportunity here in Columbus and that’s about it. It’s going to be fun.”

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[DangeRouss]

seen it in live ! Tex being Tex

short-ended winning goal with 3 minutes left

penultimate preparation game for the world championships
Norway 3 - 4 France

 

[DangeRouss]

 

[MoeBartoli]

If you could put Tex on a 3rd line with Boone and Chinakov (if ready, Voronkov or Danforth, you’d have a 3rd line that would be worthy of a playoff contender.….But maybe he comes back a 2nd line contender.

 

[Halberdier]

Texier has been really good against Finland so far in the game. He is doing everything. I am excited to see him back in Columbus next season.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Not sure if he’s not playing because France is getting blown out or if he’s hurt, but he hasn’t played at all in the second period and only played about 4 minutes in the first

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

I concur Texier looked great against Finland, he was a constant threat and the commentators picked him as France's best and most active player.

From the SWE-FRA game report May 20th:

The absence of Alexandre Texier, who left the game during the first period due to illness, did not help France.

So hopefully nothing to worry about on that front.

 

[DangeRouss]

Several team players were ill in the second half of the world championship

a little disappointed with Tex's performance, but France NT was decimated and the weakest I've seen in a long time

 

[summer tooth]

Would be sweet if he could play some RW this year

 

[Sombastate]

Hey, sorry if this has been discussed lately, but in a hockey house with no hockey we talk about random stuff.

Whatever happened to Texier? Is he coming back? If so, what do fans expect?

 

[Jovavic]

Hey, sorry if this has been discussed lately, but in a hockey house with no hockey we talk about random stuff.

Whatever happened to Texier? Is he coming back? If so, what do fans expect?

Yes, he's coming back. My personal expectations is 50ish points but that could go up if he proves to Babcock he can play higher in the lineup.

 

[NotCommitted]

Yes, he's coming back. My personal expectations is 50ish points but that could go up if he proves to Babcock he can play higher in the lineup.

That might be quite possible but OTOH he just had 0.76P/GP in a league where a 40-year old Filppula scored at 1.11P/GP. Likewise a bunch of guys who couldn't make it in the NHL scored a lot more than he did. Now, I have no idea about his usage or any of that stuff and of course there were all the reasons he played there last season in the first place, so his focus probably wasn't what I'd hope it'd be this coming season.

I have no idea what to expect honestly, he could have trouble making the roster or score 60+ while also contributing in other ways. I really liked what I saw of him in CBJ and thought he also showed potential for way more but at this point I'm trying to not expect anything and just hope for the best.