Summer Spotlight: Texier's return should be boost to Blue Jackets

Number:42

Birth date: Sept. 13, 1999 (age 23)

Birthplace: Saint-Martin-D'Heres, France

Height, Weight:6-1, 186

2022-23 Stats (ZSC Lions, Switzerland):46 GP, 13-22-35

Contract:Signed through 2023-24 season (One year remaining until RFA status)

First off, it's just good to see Alexandre Texier ready to return to Columbus.

It hasn't been an easy past season and a half for the French forward, who got off to a great start during the 2021-22 campaign before suffering a hand injury. He then had to return to his native country for personal reasons, and he eventually spent the entirety of last season playing in Europe to be closer to home.

Things appear to be on an upswing, though, for Texier. The 2017 second-round pick returned to Columbus in April with a smile on his face, saying he was ready to resume his NHL career this upcoming season.

While he hasn't played an NHL game since Jan. 26, 2022, Texier will be welcomed back with open arms by the Blue Jackets, who saw him starting to blossom two seasons ago. Texier posted 11 goals and 20 points in 36 games that season, including one stretch in which he had a 9-9-18 line in 22 contests.

"I was playing with a lot of confidence last year and have some good memories in Columbus when I was playing some good hockey," Texier said when he visited Columbus in the spring. "I'll just try to bring that and remember what I did back then to bring it for the training camp."

At his best, Texier is an intriguing player, capable of producing offense at the NHL level, playing both on the power play and the penalty kill, and skating a 200-foot game. He can play both center and wing, which should make him quite a useful player for the Blue Jackets this upcoming season.

Top Moment of 2021-22

Let us remember the firepoker. Texier is known for the difficult-to-stop, deceptive shootout move in which he quickly flicks the puck through the legs of the goalie as though he's using a firepoker. He first broke out the move in the pandemic-shortened 2021 season and then used it again on Dec. 30, 2021, to help give the Blue Jackets a shootout win over Nashville. Fun fact -- Texier also played a season-best 20:08 in that contest and scored a goal during regulation.

Texier's Top Highlights

Watch: Youtube Video

Stat to Know

We'll bring this one back from last summer: Texier earned major minutes on the penalty kill for the first time in his career in 2021-22 and was able to use his speed and skill to create offense for the Jackets while shorthanded. A notable shorthanded goal against Vegas was Texier's only such tally of the year, but the Jackets were one of the top offensive teams while down a man in the NHL when Texier was on the ice. Of the 326 NHL players to have at least 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time that season, Texier placed fifth in goals per 60 minutes (3.77) and sixth in expected goals per 60 minutes (2.19). In all, the Jackets were outscored just 5-4 when Texier was on the ice on the PK, a goals percentage of 44.4 that was second in the league when shorthanded.

2023-24 Expectations

It will be interesting to see how much time it takes for Texier to readjust to the NHL level and North American hockey, but his return could be a boon to the Blue Jackets given how well he played two seasons ago. If Texier is able to either get back to that level or even pass it, he should be a solid middle-of-the-lineup player who can play in all situations and bring a lot to the table. At the end of the day, the return of Texier could end up being the biggest under-the-radar acquisition for the Blue Jackets this summer.