The NHL trade deadline is March 8th and is fast approaching. The Blue Jackets find themselves in the basement of the NHL standings and will be making decisions about who they want to keep and who they want to trade at the trade deadline.
While the upcoming unrestricted free agents are always the likely candidates to be dealt, there are usually a few surprise trades at each trade deadline.
Alexandre Texier
It seems like the 5th line has been waiting for years for Texier to break out. He has spurts of play that show his true potential and then he goes long stretches of being quiet.
He really may need a change of scenery to reach his true potential. Texier would be an ideal target for any playoff contender. He’s young, can play at center or on the wing, kills penalties, and can score.
Furthermore, Texier’s cap hit is reasonable ($1.525 million for this season), which shouldn’t be too difficult for most teams to swallow (especially if the CBJ retain any salary). He is a restricted free agent after this season, which means the acquiring team still holds his rights and negotiate a new contract with him this summer.
There are so many aspects about Texier that make him a prime candidate to be traded.