Texier playing with a smile on his face for Blue Jackets

Alexandre Texier says he plays his best hockey when there's a smile on his face.
For much of this season, there's been no reason for anything but smiles out of the Blue Jackets forward.

In a season where evaluation for future campaigns takes on a role of outsized importance, Texier has been one of the top bright spots for Columbus. His development into one of the top forwards on the team, one that can be trusted in all situations at age 22, has been a welcome development for a Blue Jackets team that is counting on a number of young players to take big steps forward this season.
After two seasons spent learning the league and trying to deliver his game on a consistent basis, Texier has done that for much of the campaign.
"I want to take that step," he said. "I'm 22, and I think that's the right time. There are a lot of things in my game to get better and to learn, but I am learning every day. The guys in the locker room when we play against the top guys in the league, against Florida, even if it was a bad game, I still learn from the centermen and you and always learn. I think that's what I am trying to do, to be consistent and get better at my game."

And as even Texier has acknowledged, it's bringing the game on a consistent basis that has been the biggest step forward for the young Frenchman. He has wowed at times previously in his Blue Jackets career, including scoring two goals in the Game 4 sweep clincher vs. Tampa Bay in 2019 as well as the start of last season when he had four goals in the first seven games and debuted his viral "firepoker" shootout goal in that span as well.
But the bright spots have been matched by times where he just wasn't as productive, including a 42-game streak without a goal to conclude the 2021 season. As a result, Texier entered this campaign with 11 goals and 29 points in 87 career games.
Those aren't bad numbers for such a young player, but it also felt there was more there, especially considering Texier was a highly touted second-round pick and someone who showed the ability to score on a consistent basis in Finland before coming to join the Blue Jackets. And it felt like another topsy-turvy year might be in the cards when Texier scored on the first shift of this season, then had zero goals and just one shot on goal in the next four games.
But after being moved to a line with Sean Kuraly and Eric Robinson, Texier saw his game bloom. In a 22-game stretch from Nov. 6 to Jan. 13, he had nine goals and 18 points in 22 games, notching at least one point in 15 of those contests and earning a promotion to higher spots in the lineup.
"Tex was arguably our best player the last month, month plus," head coach Brad Larsen said in early January when Texier had to leave the lineup because of COVID protocols. "He's found a sweet spot. It was never an effort thing -- we've beat that point to death. He always tried. It was trying to calm his mind and believe in himself, believe in his game, making plays.
"There's touch plays he never used to make where he'd fire a pass from 10 feet away, which didn't make sense at the time. Now he's starting to sense those plays and execute them, and he's getting rewarded. He's building trust in the situations I'm putting him in."

Kuraly came to Columbus having seen Texier play in person only during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Kuraly was with Boston. As a result, he had a high level of respect for the youngster's game, and the version of Texier he has seen this year has been similar to the one he first laid eyes on years ago.
"I've always had an appreciation and a respect for his game and his skill," Kuraly said. "It's been super impressive, and I think he's playing hard and also finishing and really balancing those two things well. He's a guy that wants the puck on his stick, and when he gets it on his stick he's making good things happen. It's been fun to play with him. It's been cool to watch and just been huge for our team."
One of the next challenges for Texier could be moving back to center, the position he was drafted to play and one he has dabbled in at times in his career. He started at the spot this season but moved to wing, where he had most of his success, but he could spend more time in the middle going forward as personnel dictates -- he was there Saturday in Florida after Cole Sillinger went into COVID protocol -- or if the Jackets want to see again how his game will fare there.
Texier said he's up for anything, and time will tell how things will work out. The only thing he wants to do is keep showing up every night and proving he has what it takes to be a productive player at the NHL level -- and to keep smiling along the way.
"I think (consistency is) exactly what I want to prove in my game," he said. "We still have a lot of games left, so I want to be consistent every single night and that's what I am trying to do, bring some energy and good things will happen after. I am not focused on the points right now, just trying to help the team get through that and if I can score I will score. But I am focused on playing consistent every night."