In his most recent 32 Thoughts column, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman questioned if the Montreal Canadiens could make sense as a landing spot for St. Louis Blues forward Alexandre Texier. This was after he reported that rumors are out there that Texier is considering terminating his contract with the Blues.

Following Friedman's column, the Blues placed Texier on regular waivers on Nov. 20. However, Friedman also noted that the Blues and Texier could still mutually terminate his contract if he goes through regular waivers unclaimed. 

With Texier being available on regular waivers, should the Canadiens consider claiming him before his current contract potentially gets terminated? The 26-year-old center currently has a $2.1 million cap hit until the end of this season, which is not necessarily cheap for his role. He has also not played much this season, posting one assist in eight games so far. This is after he had six goals and 11 points in 31 games with St. Louis this past season. 

Texier has shown in the past that he can produce decent offense, as he posted career highs with 12 goals, 18 assists, and 30 points in 78 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023-24. This was after he had 11 goals and 20 points in just 36 games with Columbus during the 2021-22 season. 

Overall, while Texier could be a decent depth pickup for the Canadiens, his current $2.1 million cap hit could very well make the Canadiens stay away. However, if he clears regular waivers and then gets his current contract terminated by the Blues, he could be a low-risk target for the Canadiens to bring in at a lower price through free agency.