The Columbus Blue Jackets will continue to be without the services of one of their best young talents for the foreseeable future.
Alexandre Texier, the 45th overall pick at the 2017 NHL Draft, will extend his leave of absence from the team for the entire 2022-23 season after consulting with the joint NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program.
As part of the agreement between the team, league, union and player, Texier — a native of France, will be allowed to ink a one-year deal in Europe for next season so he can be closer to his family.
Per NHL.com, Tessier’s contract and cap hit will be “consistent with the treatment of a suspended player,” meaning he won’t be paid by Columbus and his salary won’t count against the team’s salary cap while he’s away.
Texier, who was granted a leave of absence by the Blue Jackets in March after he was sidelined with a finger fracture he sustained last January, released a statement via the team’s website on Wednesday touching on his decision to step away from the club.
“During the past year, I have experienced some personal issues and challenges and I feel I need to be close to my family at this time. I have love and respect for the city of Columbus, the Blue Jackets, and the fans as everyone has always treated me first-class,” he said.
“I truly appreciate the support, help and empathy I have received from team management, the coaching staff, doctors, trainers and my teammates. This was a hard decision, but it is the best one for me right now.”
Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen also spoke on the situation Wednesday, saying the club will support Texier any way it can as the 22-year-old works through his issues.
“Alexandre Texier and I recently had a very long conversation in which he indicated to me that he was not ready to resume his career in the NHL at this time,” Kekalainen said. “While we are disappointed Tex will not be joining us for the 2022-23 season as we anticipated, his mental health and well-being remain our top priority and we will continue to support him in any way we can.”
Since making his NHL debut near the end of the 2018-19 season, Texier has tallied 22 goals and 49 points with 189 shots in 123 career contests.
Texier started to break loose in 2021-22, setting single-season career highs in goals (11) and points (20) with 12 PIMs and 59 shots-on-goal while averaging 14:36 TOI in 36 games.
More from Yahoo Sports