The Vancouver Canucks are preparing for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft — and so are we.
Once again the Vancouver Canucks failed to secure a spot in the NHL playoffs. So, instead of competing for the Stanley Cup, Canucks GM Jim Benning and his staff will use the upcoming months to prepare next season’s roster. Now that the organisation is officially in a ‘transition period’, the 2017 NHL Entry Draft will be of utmost importance.
A four-game winning streak to start the 2016-17 season gave fans hope for the playoffs. But — blame the coach, the roster, injuries or anything else — unfortunately, the team was unable to play competitively for an entire season. With that, they are guaranteed another high draft pick this year.
Here at The Canuck Way, we will do our best to prepare you for the upcoming draft by profiling as many eligible players as we possibly can. Keep in mind that we are not saying these are players the Canucks are targeting. Instead, these are players that we think the Canucks could or should have interest in.
This year’s draft seems wide-open, with no real consensus in any of the seven rounds. So, it will certainly be interesting to see who will put on a Vancouver Canucks jersey come June.
Today we’ll take a look at French center Alexandre Texier!
Name: Alexandre Texier
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Birthdate: 1999-09-13
Height, weight: 6’0”, 174 lbs
Team, league: Bruleurs de Loups, Ligue Magnus
Stats (from eliteprospects.com):
G
A
P
PIM
+/-
401091969-1
Rankings:
#16 by NHL Central Scouting (EU Skaters)
Risk, Reward: 4/5, 4/5
NHL-potential: Top-six center
Draft Range: Third to fourth round
Scouting report
"A highly skilled offensive player who stands out with his puck skills, vision and passing ability. Likely a playmaker at the highest level, but he can score goals as well, as he has proven in the French top division. Skating ability, defensive play and effort level are concerns. A bit of a high-risk, high-reward player, depending on where he’s picked in the draft. Likely a third or fourth-round pick."
Strengths
Alexandre Texier plays a flashy offensive game based on speed and skill. The French center likes to use his speed to rush past his opponents on the outside and then drive hard to the net to finish the play. He doesn’t always score on those chances, but he creates them frequently.
Texier possesses soft hands that allow him to control difficult passes or bouncing pucks. He has quick hands as well and can deke past defensemen or carry the puck through traffic. Texier feels comfortable handling the puck in the corners and tight spaces, and finds ways to escape the pressure thanks to his quick hands and smarts.
Texier has great upside as a playmaker, as he possesses excellent vision and passing skills. He sees the ice extremely well and can distribute passes around the offensive zone. Although he finished the season with more goals than assists, Texier projects as a playmaker at the next level, and has great potential in that role. He frequently sets up dangerous scoring chances, especially when playing against opponents of his age group.
Weaknesses
Texier has two major red flags in his game: Skating and defensive play. Both areas can and will be improved over time, but the question is whether it will be enough.
More from Draft
- Recapping the Canucks picks from rounds five to seven
- Canucks take Daimon Gardner in fourth round
- Canucks select Elias Pettersson in third round
- Canucks select Jonathan Lekkerimäki with 15th overall pick
- Five players the Canucks could draft with the 15th overall pick
Texier has solid top speed, but he takes much too long to get there. He struggles to get to speed with his first steps because of his awkward stride that looks like running rather than skating. Texier has to focus on using his edges properly to generate power and improve his acceleration. His edge work needs a lot of work overall, as his movements are too choppy.
As to his defensive play, there just isn’t much there. Texier is often slow on the backcheck and doesn’t look like he’s putting in a lot of effort. In the defensive zone, he often looks lost, skating around the D-zone without a plan. His positioning and defensive awareness are far below average.
Final Thoughts
Texier will never be a two-way player and that’s not what he’ll be drafted to be. If he develops into an NHL player, it will be as a dynamic playmaker with an offensive mindset who can help his team score goals and win hockey games. However, you can’t succeed in the NHL without knowing your defensive responsibilities.
In non-traditional hockey countries like France, kids don’t get the kind of professional training that Canadians or Americans have. Scoring goals and being a purely offensive player is enough, skating or defensive deficiencies don’t really matter for a player like Texier. And once they do, and these kids become professionals, it’s almost too late.
The best-case scenario for Texier would be to play the 2017-18 season in the CHL — for a French prospect the QMJHL seems to make a lot of sense. There, he would have top-level coaches watching his progress and showing him how to improve.
Next: 2017 NHL Draft Profile Overview
Texier’s draft position will depend on scouts’ trust into his upside and development. Can he make the NHL? Personally, I would not pick him in the first three rounds, but he could definitely end up going off the board in the third. The Canucks could target him with the 95th or 112th pick.