Alexandre Texier

The Canadiens' Alexandre Texier sits out Tuesday with his nagging lower-body injury, marking another game lost in what feels like a revolving door of absences for Montreal's depth chart. Joe Veleno steps in to fill the void, but whispers from the front office hint at Laval recalls if this drags on through the stretch run. With Texier's speed and middle-six grit crucial to their push, every missed shift raises the stakes on how Kent Hughes manages this thin forward group.

The Canadiens keep Alexandre Texier on the shelf Tuesday, nursing what sources whisper is a nagging lower-body tweak that's testing Montreal's depth chart early. Martin St. Louis scratches his head over lineup juggling with Veleno stepping up, but whispers from the trainer's room hint this could linger into the week. With the Habs pushing for every point in the standings, his absence spotlights how thin that forward group runs when injuries strike.

Martin St. Louis doesn't mince words after the Canadiens top Columbus, zeroing in on one persistent weakness that haunts their game. Locker room vets nod along, knowing this critique cuts to the core of playoff survival. Fixing it separates contenders from also-rans in crunch time.

Alexandre Texier sits out the Canadiens' clash with Columbus due to a nagging lower-body issue, leaving Montreal shorthanded on the wings. Coaches like Martin St. Louis hate these untimely dings, especially when the schedule piles up and every point counts in the standings chase. Texier's quick return remains the hope, but the Habs' medical staff knows one wrong tweak changes the whole injury timeline for a rebuilding squad.

The Canadiens scratch Alexandre Texier for the second straight game, just months after locking him up to a two-year, $5 million extension that looked like a steal at 16 points in 25 games. GM Kent Hughes scooped him off waivers from St. Louis expecting a middle-six spark, but now the 26-year-old Frenchman sits as coaches question his fit amid a recent healthy scratch streak.

Canadiens' extension to Alexandre Texier draws sharp backlash from scouts who saw this coming. The ink barely dries before performance dips raise red flags in Montreal's rebuild. A fresh look at the 2013 draft class highlights missed gems still paying dividends.