CBJ Early Season Review: Alexandre Texier is Struggling

As the Blue Jackets continue to search for offense in the early part of the season, the team needs contributions from more players in the lineup. Unfortunately for the Jackets, one key player sticks out statistically for the wrong reason: Alexandre Texier is struggling.

The Jackets have been very patient with Texier ever since drafting him in the second round (#45 overall) at the 2017 NHL Draft. He spent two full seasons in Finland after being drafted, quietly emerging as a high end scorer in a league where it’s very tough to generate offense. He made the jump to North America near the end of the 2019 season; joining the team for their famed first round sweep of the President’s Trophy winning Tampa Bay Lightning that spring.

Hopes were high for “Tex”, thought at the time to be a future core piece of the team. In fact, he seemed to be one of the only true NHL prospects for the club – and at center, no less. Early NHL results were even relatively strong. As a rookie in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, Texier scored 6 goals and 13 points in 36 games.

He followed that up with 15 points in 49 games for the 2020-21 season, a year full of turmoil and struggles that caused the team to eventually split from head coach John Tortorella. But Texier seemed to be on his way to a breakout in the 2021-22 season. After starting the season in the top-six forward group, he was demoted to the fourth line, where he found his way quickly alongside Eric Robinson and Sean Kuraly. Tex scored 11 goals and 20 points in 36 games, before a broken hand pushed him out of the lineup. He would not play another game for the Blue Jackets for almost 18 months.

Texier left the United States and returned to France to deal with the passing of two family members. He opted to stay in Europe last season, where he scored 35 points in 46 games with ZSC Lions (Switzerland). Again, the team showed patience, allowing the young forward time to rediscover his passion for the game of hockey – while remaining close to family.

After his return to the Jackets this fall, there was a lot of excitement. Texier is a talented guy, with smooth hands and a plethora of moves in his arsenal (see the above pass); which he combines with good speed and a solid all-around game. Unfortunately, 9 games into the season, he has not posted a single point – and he carries a team-worst -7 rating through that span.

In short, it’s time for Alexandre Texier to start repaying the team’s patience with some kind of productivity – or it feels like he’s at risk of being an afterthought on this team. This is especially true when you see that Yegor Chinakhov suddenly has 3 goals and 4 points in 3 AHL games. The clock is ticking here.

It’s not that Texier has played poorly, at least from the “eye test” side of things. He’s made some nice plays here and there, and honestly has been a little bit snake bitten. He’s not the only one. But, he started the season on a line with Patrik Laine and Adam Fantilli. He’s spent a lot of time in the top-six, and hasn’t given them anything offensively yet. Texier is no longer a young player on this team – at 24 years old, he should be entering the prime years of his career.

There’s more for Texier to give here. A lot more. It appears that for tonight’s game, he’ll be back on Kuraly’s flank on the fourth line. That sparked his offense once before, and we can only hope that it works a second time. If not, I have to start wondering how much longer the Alexandre Texier experience lasts in Columbus.