Alexandre Texier to play center for Blue Jackets with Mikko Koivu out – The Columbus Dispatch

Second-year forward expected to center a line that includes Boone Jenner. Koivu still 'unfit' and didn't travel to Nashville.

The 2021 season will begin Thursday without the Blue Jackets having a key piece of their offseason additions.

Mikko Koivu missed practice Wednesday, his second in a row, and did not make the trip to Nashville with the team while being termed unfitto participate. The37-year-old forward started training camp as the Jackets center on the third line, a role that Boone Jenner handled much of the past two seasons.

Adding Koivu wasgeneral manager JarmoKekalainensideato let Jenner go back tomore of aforecheckingrole at left wing and that wont change despite the veteran pivots absence.The center role for the third line is expected to be handled by Alexandre Texier, whos going into his second season.

I still want to take a look at Tex in the middle,coach John Tortorella said. Ive got him and (Jenner)together. Itll be interesting in how much pressure they can put on a (defense), as far as how hard they work.

Coinciding with that decision, Tortorella is sticking with Mikhail Grigorenko to fill Texiers previousspot at left wing on the top line.The Russian forward, a former first-round pick of the BuffaloSabres, has begun to look more comfortable in that role,paired with center Pierre-Luc Dubois and OliverBjorkstrand.

I thought they had agood scrimmage (Sunday) night, Tortorella said. I thought there was some chemistry right away. Its nice to have a Grigorenko, who can play all three forward positions. I think his camp has gotten better as wevegone along. The biggest key is intensity all the time in a 60-minute hockey game. Im anxious to see him play.

Grigorenko, 26, made his NHL debut with Buffalo and also played with the Colorado Avalanche before heading back to theKontinentalHockey League for the past three years. After excelling there, hes looking to revive his NHL career.

As usual, Tortorella did not reveal whether goalie JoonasKorpisaloor Elvis Merzlikins would start the opener Thursday in Nashville.

He said he informedtheone whowill start, butis not planning tousean extensive road mapfor which games each will playin a crammed56-game schedule.

I told thestarting goalie today whos going (Thursday) and thats as far as Ill ever go, Tortorella said. I mean, we just dont go too far out. But (Im going to be asked) about No. 1 ... and theres really not going to be a No. 1. Theres going to be a tandem here, because I think we have two really good ones and we are going to need them.

The Blue Jackets made their final cutsWednesday,announcingboth their NHL roster and taxi squad.

The NHL rosterhas13 forwards, eight defensemen andthetwo goalies, while the taxi squadconsists of six players:forwardsNathan Gerbe,RyanMacInnisand Stefan Matteau, goalieMatissKivlenieksand defensemen Adam Clendening and Andrew Peeke.

The Blue Jackets also assigned defensemen GavinBayruetherand Jake Christiansen,goalie Cam Johnson andforwards Zac Dalpe, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Cliff Pu and Kole Sherwood to the Cleveland Monsters.

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

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Alexandre Texier to play center for Blue Jackets with Mikko Koivu out - The Columbus Dispatch