Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the team has acquired forward Alexandre Texier from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft the Blues have signed Texier to a two-year contract extension worth $4.2 million ($2.1 million AAV) 201-pound forward appeared in 78 regular-season games setting single-season career highs in goals (12) native has dressed in 201 career NHL regular-season games Texier has also represented France in numerous international tournaments and 2023 IIHF World Championships as well as the 2017 and 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships (D1A) According to the Columbus Dispatch‘s Brian Hedger the Blue Jackets received a 2025 fourth-round pick in return for the 6’1″ Texier, 24, also signed a two-year contract extension with the Blues worth $2.1 million per season, according to his agent In 78 games with the Blue Jackets during the 2023-24 regular season The Blue Jackets originally selected the Saint-Martin-d’Heres Texier is now under contract with the Blues through the end of the 2025-26 season at which point he’ll be eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights After acquiring Alexandre Texier in trade from #CBJ, the #stlblues signed him to 2 year $2.1M Cap Hit DealDeal includes $2.1M Salary each season12G 30P in 78GPRep'd by Dan Milstein @GoldStarHockey https://t.co/Y8HxkItBVJ Texier made his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets during the 2018-19 season and established himself as a regular in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs helping Columbus to a shocking sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 After spending the following three seasons with the Blue Jackets Texier returned overseas for the 2022-23 campaign while he dealt with family issues The French forward spent the season with Swiss club Zurich SC allowing him to remain in game shape while being closer to home Texier’s contract tolled by one year while he played in Switzerland allowing him to return to the Blue Jackets for the 2023-24 season without having to negotiate a new deal He had been set to become a restricted free agent come July 1 Through 201 career NHL games over parts of five seasons with the Blue Jackets Texier has collected 34 goals and 79 points He’s added two goals and seven points in 18 career playoff contests The Blue Jackets now possess nine selections in the 2025 NHL Draft: their own picks in each round The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the St Louis Blues in exchange for center Alexandre Texier club President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today registered 34 goals and 45 assists for 79 points with 82 penalty minutes and 298 shots on goal in 201 career outings with the Blue Jackets since making his NHL debut at the end of the 2018-19 campaign He was originally selected by Columbus in the second round two shorthanded goals and 109 shots on goal while averaging 15:11 of ice time in 78 contests with the Blue Jackets in 2023-24 He set single-season career highs in goals penalty minutes and games played this past season He recorded 11-9-20 and 59 shots on goal in 36 appearances with the club in 2019-20 and finished with 6-7-13 in 36 outings with the club in his rookie campaign in 2019-20 201-pound forward spent the 2022-23 campaign with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland’s National League recording 13-22-35 with 30 penalty minutes and a +16 plus/minus rating in 46 regular season games He also recorded 27-36-63 and 74 penalty minutes in 108 games over two seasons with KalPa in Finland’s top professional league (Liiga) from 2017-19 Texier has represented France at several international tournaments 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Championships as well as the 2017 (bronze) and 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships (D1A) Ohio (WSYX) — The Columbus Blue Jackets traded center Alexandre Texiera fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft Louis Blues comes hours before the draft starts while averaging 15:11 of ice time in 78 games with the Blue Jackets last season the 24-year-old had34 goals and 45 assists for 79 points with 82 penalty minutes and 298 shots on goal in 201 games he was drafted by Columbusin the second round in 2017 LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. — Alexandre Texier’s extended stay in France is no longer puzzling.  According to a Thursday release by the Blue Jackets the 22-year old forward has been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team for personal reasons.  ‘Tex’ has experienced personal losses of people very close to him and our priority right now is to support him in every way possible,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement “We are going to give him the time he needs and look forward to welcoming him back to the Blue Jackets family when he is ready.”  Texier returned to France just as the Blue Jackets embarked on a road back-to-back Feb 24-25 against the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes That was right around the time he was expected to return from a fractured finger that occurred Jan Jack Roslovic: Rescuing lost season after promotion to Blue Jackets' second line His timeframe was pushed back “a few weeks” after Texier was spotted attending a Grenoble Wolf Burners game Feb 25 near his hometown of Saint-Martin-d'Heres Nothing was officially released about his decision to go home until Thursday’s release — which did not specify which of Texier’s friends or family had died.  Prior to his injury, Texier had become one of the Blue Jackets’ top success stories this season a shift from centering the top line to playing right wing on the fourth line with center Sean Kuraly and Eric Robinson brought out his best play Texier instantly became a two-way force and even worked his way into a key role as a penalty-killing forward next to Gustav Nyquist He played 36 games and posted career-highs in goals (11) and points (20) including a “goal of the year” candidate while shorthanded Nov Kekalainen told the Dispatch in a Q&A prior to the NHL’s All-Star break that he still considered Texier a possible two-way center in the future or perhaps a versatile winger who could play center in a pinch.  Texier’s stock increased to the point where he became the subject of trade speculation that bubbled up shortly before his return to France Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Kekalainen was “taking calls” on Texier and that he was looking for a first-round draft pick plus a roster player in return.  A source with knowledge of the situation told The Dispatch the report was inaccurate and that Texier was not on the trade block Speculation persisted because of the unknown circumstances surrounding his return to France which the news Thursday should quell.  Texier is the second Blue Jackets player this season mourn the loss of somebody close to them while out with an injury Patrik Laine mourned the death of his father in late November while recovering from a strained oblique muscle.  Laine missed 20 games while injured and grieving his father’s death in Finland The “indefinite’ part of Texier’s granted leave makes his eventual return to the lineup even foggier Prior to facing the New York Islanders on Thursday in Belmont the Blue Jackets were 13 points back of the Washington Capitals for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference Their odds of making a playoff push are extremely unlikely and it’s fair to wonder now whether Texier will return to play in any of the 24 games left in the regular season Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today that forward Alexandre Texier will rejoin the club for the 2023-24 National Hockey League season after spending the 2022-23 campaign with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland's National League The team also announced that the second year of Texier's two-year contract young player who is an important part of our team and we are excited that he will be rejoining the club as expected next season," said Kekalainen "His well-being has been our sole priority and we couldn't be happier that he is ready to resume what is a very promising NHL career at this time."Texier recorded 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points with 30 penalty minutes and a +16 plus/minus rating in 46 regular season games with the ZSC Lions in 2022-23 ranking third on the team in goals and points and fourth in assists He added 2-3-5 in nine postseason contests.The 23-year-old Saint-Martin-d'Heres France native has notched 22-27-49 with 44 penalty minutes and 189 shots in 123 career outings with the Blue Jackets since making his NHL debut at the end of the 2018-19 campaign He set single-season career highs in goals and points in 2021-22 with 11-9-20 while averaging 14:36 of ice time in 36 contests 186-pound forward was drafted by Columbus in the second round The Stanley Cup has been handed off to the Florida Panthers We got NHL Futures bets with the 2024-25 Hart Trophy odds Tyler Yaremchuk: We got our winner for last seasons Hart Trophy so now it’s time to look at the favorites for next seasons Hart Trophy. Connor McDavid is the favorite at +200, not hard to go with McDavid at those odds, but is there maybe a player that nobody is talking about that could be an MVP candidate next season? Tyler Yaremchuk: Jack Hughes is at +1000. I think now that they are better defensivley and the goaltending, if he stays healthy I think I can see hi being a 50 goal guy and the Devils returning to the playoffs with Hughes being their leader.