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Alex Texier Thrives with Canadiens After Contract Extension
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- Alex Texier Thrives with Canadiens After Contract Extension
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Alexandre Texier to a two-year contract extension, which carries an annual average value (AAV) of $2.5 million. The contract will kick in next season, and run until 2027-28.
All things considered, Texier is enjoying one of the most fruitful starts to 2026, going beyond his impressive production level since he's joined the Habs.
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Healthy Mind, Healthy Body
Texier, 26, had fallen out of favour with the St. Louis Blues , which led to him falling out of love with hockey, a situation that's much more common than we assume. After all, a healthy work environment always leads to better performances from employees.
However, he's not only rejuvenated his love of the game since arriving in Montreal, he's also put together some very encouraging numbers on the first line, playing alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield .
From a statistical standpoint, Texier isn't quite making the same impact as Juraj Slafkovsky did in that situation, but he's doing better than expected, and his presence on that trio has gone a long way in stabilizing their underlying numbers .
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It has also allowed head coach Martin St-Louis to spread the wealth throughout his top six, keeping Slafkovsky on the second line, where he drives the charge while playing with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen .
Alex Texier Individual Statistics
Texier has scored seven goals and nine assists in 25 games, including a heroic hat-trick effort which secured two important points on January 8, versus the Florida Panthers .
He's also managed to take more shots than most players in the lineup, with roughly seven shots on target every 60 minutes of 5v5 ice time, good for fourth overall on the team among players who have participated in 12 or more games.
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On a shot-starved team such as the Canadiens, he's lack of hesitancy when placed in a situation that's conducive to shooting has been a sight for sore eyes.
As for his underlying numbers, with Texier on the ice the Canadiens tend to control roughly 53 percent of the shots, the second-best result among all players in the lineup. His current linemate, Caufield, leads the charge in that department with 53.5%, which goes to show Texier has quickly acclimatized to his new surroundings.
It remains to be seen if Texier can become the permanent solution to the first line's woes, but there's no doubt he's aced his audition, and clearly deserved a longer runway to prove his long-term worth.
Salary Cap Impact
Seeing as Texier will only carry a $2.5 million price tag, this is a low risk, medium reward situation, with a relatively healthy chance the Canadiens may end up with a high reward.
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There's only so much talent available in the NHL, even less so when we remember the Canadiens are looking for players of a certain age group. In most cases, you'd have to spend some sort of asset to acquire a player of Texier's potential, especially since it's currently a seller's market.
Considering his low cost of acquisition, his age, his potential, and the need to add scoring depth to the lineup, there's a lot to like about the brief, if not exciting, adventures of Alex Texier with the Montreal Canadiens .
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick .
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