Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes made significant roster moves on Sunday, demonstrating the organization's proactive approach to managing their injury-depleted lineup.
Texier Joins Canadiens After Blues Departure
The Canadiens have signed forward Alexandre Texier to a one-year contract worth US$1 million, bringing the 26-year-old French native to Montreal. Texier recently became available after the St. Louis Blues placed him on unconditional waivers on Saturday to terminate his contract.
Texier had recorded 0-1-1 totals in eight games with the Blues this season before his departure. The Blues had originally acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets during the summer of 2024 in exchange for a fourth-round pick at the 2025 NHL Draft.
Throughout his seven-season NHL career spanning 240 games, Texier has accumulated 40-51-91 totals. Last season with St. Louis, he posted 6-5-11 totals in 31 games. The Blue Jackets initially selected the 6-foot-1, 196-pound forward in the second round (45th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft after he recorded 10-9-19 totals in 40 games with Grenoble in France.
Engstrom Earns Promotion After Strong AHL Performance
In a corresponding move, the Canadiens have recalled defenceman Adam Engstrom from the AHL's Laval Rocket. The 22-year-old Swedish blueliner earned his promotion following an impressive performance that included a goal and four assists in the Rocket's 7-2 victory over the Belleville Senators on Saturday.
Engstrom has been developing steadily with Laval, recording 5-9-14 totals and a plus-8 rating through 18 games this season. His strong training camp performance with the Canadiens had previously made him one of the final roster cuts before the season began.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis expressed confidence in Engstrom's abilities at the end of training camp, stating: "He showed everything it takes to play in the league. I won't be surprised if he has a long NHL career."
Addressing Injury Challenges and Building Depth
These roster moves come at a critical time for the Canadiens, who are dealing with significant injuries to key forwards. The team currently has Alex Newhook (fractured ankle), Kirby Dach (fractured foot), and Patrik Laine (core muscle injury) all sidelined with long-term injuries.
Engstrom becomes the fourth player called up from Laval in the past ten days, joining forwards Jared Davidson, Joshua Roy, and Florian Xhekaj, who made his NHL debut in Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Xhekaj delivered an impressive first performance with an assist, a fight, two shots, three hits, and a blocked shot during his 9:48 of ice time.
Coach St. Louis praised the Laval Rocket coaching staff, led by head coach Pascal Vincent, for their role in preparing players for the NHL transition. "I tip my hat to the staff in Laval," St. Louis said. "Because we've had a lot of call-ups recently and the guys come and they look ready—they don't look out of place."
The Laval Rocket currently sit in first place in the North Division with a 12-6-0 record following Saturday's decisive win.
The Canadiens will practice at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard before embarking on a three-game road trip. The journey begins Wednesday in Utah against the Mammoth (9:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS), followed by back-to-back afternoon games in Vegas against the Golden Knights on Friday (4 p.m., TSN2, RDS) and in Colorado against the Avalanche on Saturday (3 p.m., TSN2, RDS).
