The playoff showing reminded fans of the player Texier can be. He was expected to be a key part of the Blue Jackets attack this season, as he led KalPa of the Finnish Liiga in scoring a year ago at age 19, then tripped to North America for the first time and was so impressive in a short stint with AHL Cleveland that he forced his way onto Columbus' postseason roster.
Texier tallied twice in the four-game sweep of Tampa Bay, with both goals coming in the Game 4 clincher, and while the 2017 second-round pick wasn't as effective in the second-round loss to Boston, he still was thought to be a rising star for the Blue Jackets coming into the season thanks to his aggressive, confident style of play.
But perhaps it was no surprise he struggled at the start of the campaign, with the excitement of the playoffs the year before replaced by the grind of an NHL season. Texier scored an early game-winning overtime goal vs. Boston but had just four points in his first 22 games as he adjusted to the day-in, day-out nature of NHL hockey.
He started heating up as the calendar flipped to December, scoring three goals and adding six assists for nine points in the first 13 games of the month, when he left the team's New Year's Eve game vs. Florida with the stress fracture in his back. By that point, in 36 games in his rookie season, Texier had six goals and seven assists for 13 points, a performance he graded honestly before the postseason began.
"I think it was just OK," he said of his campaign. "Yeah, it can be better. I think everything. I'm still young, still had just one year to improve my game. I just want to be better. When I'm on the ice offensively and defensively, I want to get more physical on the ice, just try to get better on everything and work on that."
As Tortorella said, it was the kind of injury where rehab was slow and frustrating, as he was unable to undertake much activity because of the nature of the injury. That he was gone for so long made it sweeter, though, that Texier came back the way he did. At his best, he's already a pest despite his young age, as he boasts intelligence and a grittiness to his game to go along with the obvious skill.
That's what makes Texier such an integral part of the team's future, whether it be at center or wing. Texier was drafted as a center but largely has played wing in Columbus, with general manager Jarmo Kekalainen saying things will get sorted out as Texier develops.
"I think he can be both," Kekalainen said. "We kind of planned on him being a center. He's playing on the wing right now, and he's another young guy that seems to get better every game. There's so much potential we see in him as far as his career goes. Eventually, we'll hope he can play center and we think he will. He's a very good playmaker. He's strong on the puck. He's very solid defensively. He can play both positions, which is a luxury for us."
