Texier’s new contract: possibly one of Kent Hughes’ only mistakes

On February 4, I wrote an article titled: The strange use of Alexandre Texier is causing a stir. That was over a month ago.

I reported on Alexandre Texier's bizarre season so far.

Between October 8 and November 19, he played in only eight of the St. Louis Blues' 20 games. On November 20, he was placed on waivers, and on the 21st, he learned that he had not been claimed. The next day, he was placed on unconditional waivers, and on the 23rd, he agreed with the Blues to terminate his contract ($2.1 million for the 2025-26 season).
Just hours after severing ties with the Blues, Texier agreed to join the Canadiens on a one-year, $1 million contract. He waited a few days before playing his first game with his new team, which he did on the 28th (on the bottom six). He played in a few “average” games before going on a four-game point streak in mid-December. However, he became unproductive again (due to a mysterious minor injury, it was said)… then he hit the jackpot in early January, scoring three points in two games in 24 hours at the Bell Centre.
On January 14, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton announced that they had signed the French forward to a two-year contract extension (average annual salary of $2.5 million). And then Alexandre Texier stopped producing offensively and was left out of the lineup. Rumors of a minor injury were circulating, but the Frenchman's name was never placed on the injured list.
Yesterday, on the Stanley25 podcast, I revisited Alexandre Texier's situation (and several other slightly more sensitive topics, including Patrik Laine's fate, which I invite you to discover for yourselves).

“I find it strange. We're making him a national star. We like French people; we like baguettes, berets… we love him, we talk about him everywhere, everyone cheers him on, then he signs a contract… and then he disappears.” – Me

Texier has only played one game since January 30: the team's first game after the Olympic break. That means he has only played in one of his team's last nine games.

In his last game, however, he earned a point in just over 13 minutes of ice time.

But at the same time, he hasn't found the back of the net in nine games since his two three-point games in two nights at the Bell Centre.

I checked and they say Texier is healthy with the Canadiens. He had one or two days of treatment in January, but he has been training regularly with his teammates since returning from the Games.

It should be noted that he did not score any points in Milan.

One might wonder whether Texier's contract extension (two years/$2.5 million per season) is one of Kent Hughes' few mistakes. Texier was worth only $1 million in the eyes of every GM in the league a few days before his six points in two nights… and suddenly he was worth $2.5 million per season?

Many fans will say that Texier is an excellent backup player to cover for any injuries, or that with a backup like Texier, the Habs are in good shape.
The problem is that paying $2.5 million per season for a guy who doesn't play and isn't able to break into your lineup—not even on the bottom six—when everyone is healthy is not a wise expense. A backup costs less than $1.5 million in today's NHL. Even with the salary cap going up…

Texier has incredible raw talent, but he can't convince Martin St-Louis that he's good enough to play consistently on one of the top two lines… and his style of play is less suited to the bottom two lines.

Texier may have been boosted by the initial buzz that comes with playing in red at the Bell Centre.

Jean Trudel has a plan for Texier if it doesn't work out for him next season: put him on waivers, then send him to Laval. Except that, Jean, Texier would still take up more than $1 million of the team's payroll. Funny plan for a guy who just signed for two more seasons…

I hope to see Texier in the lineup this week. With two two-game series in 24 hours, there's no better time to give the French forward another chance.