Hockey

Alexandre Texier arrives: now it’s up to him to prove he belongs to the group
Lena Clotteau
Alexandre Texier arrives: now it’s up to him to prove he belongs to the group
Credit: YouTube

Some signatures are discreet. Others immediately change the climate around a team. The arrival of Alexandre Texier, signed on November 23, clearly falls into the second category.

Texier will be in practice from November 24. If he follows the established plan, he could play his first game with Montreal on November 26 against the Utah Mammoths.

Texier has not started the season in Montreal. He arrives with 21 games already played, in a team that already has its rhythm, its trios, its habits and its areas of uncertainty. This reality has transformed his arrival. It's not a smooth integration, it's an audition in real time.

And the timing is not insignificant. The Canadiens recently lost a 4-3 shootout to the Blue Jackets. Another opportunity lost on a recurring weakness.

This is precisely where a detail becomes relevant. Texier is known to be effective in shootouts. Many observers have pointed this out. He has deft hands and the patience to outwit a goalie in one-on-one situations. There's no guarantee he'll become the Canadiens' number-one shooter, but he's clearly another string to the Habs' bow.

Texier plays mainly on the wing, not at center. An important detail, since Montreal hasn't solved its lack of depth at center with this signing. On the other hand, he brings something else to the table: speed, the ability to play in transition and a style that fits well with an offensive top-9 that is still seeking its true identity.

His style of play may not appeal to everyone. He's not a spectacular player at every turn. But despite this, the addition is seen as a good deal for the Canadiens. Given the cost, the flexibility of the position and the profile, this signing represents a smart bet: low risk, real potential.

On the other hand, Texier arrives on a team where no one is going to give up a place for him. He'll have to impose himself through his intensity, consistency and ability to influence the game.

If he succeeds, he could become a regular top-9 player, an option in the shootout, a useful element in the power play, and a complementary profile in an attack that is still seeking its definitive shape.

If he fails to impose his game, the experience will be short-lived.

Texier doesn't arrive to observe. He arrives to convince. And it all starts now.


overtime

– Unstoppable domination.

– When the legend is expensive.

– A long absence to swallow.


– An unexpected departure?

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