Could Alexandre Texier be the Next Trade Domino to Fall for the Blue Jackets?
The Blue Jackets have been playing better hockey of late. Late night in New York, they were able to roll four lines against the Rangers, while icing a lineup that did not include Alexandre Texier.
The Blue Jackets do seem to be finding their way, even if the end result hasn't been a long winning streak. Or even two wins in a row.
Last night in New York, the Jackets played the first place Rangers pretty much straight up; though ultimately losing the game 4-1. It was a much closer game than the score would indicate, however - the Rangers scored two empty net goals late.
I thought the Jackets played well enough to win, aside from not generating enough high danger scoring chances. They defended pretty well. They got superb goaltending. And, they were able to spend a lot of time in the New York end, even late in the third period.
Part of the reason they were able to keep pace in this one: head coach Pascal Vincent rolled four lines. None of his forward groups spent a significant stretch of time on the bench last night.
Boone Jenner led all forwards in time on ice, playing 20:17. Mathieu Olivier (11:22) was at the other end of the spectrum. For the most part, however, the 5 on 5 minutes were pretty evenly distributed.
Only three forwards played less than 13 minutes. Only three forwards played more than 17 minutes. That's basically ideal for an NHL team, and at the end of the game, you could see the difference. They didn't look like they were wiped out.
So, what does this have to do with Alexandre Texier? He didn't even play last night! Well, that's the point we're working towards...
Since the Blue Jackets acquired Alex Nylander, their bottom-six forward group seems to have stabilized a little bit.
As strange as it was to type out that sentence, it honestly seems to be the case. Maybe it's a square peg/hole kind of thing?
Whatever the case, the coaching staff seems to trust Alex Nylander a lot more than they did Emil Bemstrom. He's looked surprisingly steady on a line with Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger, which has resulted in Pascal Vincent keeping them in a regular line rotation.
For someone like Alexandre Texier, this is not ideal. The last thing a guy on the roster bubble needs, is another guy coming in and playing well.
It raises a bigger question for me: since interim GM John Davidson was so quick to deal away another Jarmo Kekalainen draft pick who had been here too long (Bemstrom); could he do it again with Texier?
Whether that happens before the trade deadline or not, I definitely think it's a possibility.
Texier hasn't been able to creep his way up a Blue Jacket lineup that needs all the help it can get. He hasn't turned into the middle-six center he was poised to become. He doesn't even play center; he's been stuck on the wing for most of the season. He's been passed up by roughly a half dozen guys this season alone.
He does have value as an NHL player. He's spent some time on the penalty kill unit, and has proven to be reliable and consistent.
For this reason, I think a change of scenery could be helpful to Alexandre Texier. In the same way it has been for Bemstrom. Give him a chance to earn a spot somewhere else. Things haven't worked out in Columbus.
While I don't see Nylander as the long-term solution to this team's depth problem, Texier hasn't been that solution either. The team's fourth line looks a lot more potent with a more physical presence on it (Mathieu Olivier).
For that reason, it may be time to recoup some assets in return for a player that doesn't fit into the future plans here.
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