Maybe we were all a little bit wrong about John Tortorella.
I'll admit it: I was.
In October 2015, working for the Blue Jackets, I thought this was a clean-up job for a guy who'd nearly been run out of the NHL. Come into Columbus for a year or two, change the culture and attitude of what was a brutally defeated group, and pave the way for the next guy.
Tortorella has breathed new life into the Blue Jackets, and in turn, his coaching career.
So why is he entering the last year of his contract without an extension? At face value, it's a bizarre case.
NHL coaching salaries have soared over the last few years, beginning with Mike Babcock and then Claude Julien and then Barry Trotz most recently (leaving the Washington Capitals after a Cup title for the Islanders' $25 million contract offer). Tortorella's first Blue Jackets salary was a split check with the Vancouver Canucks, his previous employer, and we believe his recent extension – a one-year pact signed in July 2017 – is worth in the neighborhood of $2 million annually.
But here's the deal: this is a coach who's earned far more than that, both in annual value and in term. The Blue Jackets, at some point, need to decide if this is their guy for now and for tomorrow because it's got a funny feeling attached to it right now.
Tortorella has amassed 129 coaching wins in nearly three seasons behind the Blue Jackets' bench, including 95 over the last two regular seasons. He won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2017 and his reward was a one-year extension.
| YEAR | REGULAR SEASON RECORD | RESULT |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 34-33-8**, 76 points | Missed playoffs |
| 2016-17 | 50-24-8, 108 points (3rd, Metro) | Eliminated in first round |
| 2017-18 | 45-30-7, 97 points (1st Wild Card) | Eliminated in first round |
Mind you, the results aren't overwhelming. It's part of the reason why many fans are frustrated with the Blue Jackets: they've been impressive in the regular season and have endured some memorable first-round flameouts, which reached a new high (low?) this April in a six-game loss to Washington after taking a 2-0 series lead.
Where do we go from here, then?
Tortorella has clearly produced results – perhaps more than many expected, including his bosses – in his short time in Columbus and he deserves to have that stay extended. Another factor in play here, as well, is how long Tortorella wants to continue coaching. Does he enjoy the short-term deals that give him time to evaluate that future on an annual basis?
Maybe, but I'm sure he'd enjoy the security that his (in some cases, less successful) counterparts have enjoyed, as well.
In a lengthy sit-down interview that ran in The Athletic this week, Tortorella told Aaron Portzline that he and the Blue Jackets are "still working on it" regarding a contract extension. The belief is that a deal will be struck before the regular season begins, which would be ideal for both the coach that loathes addressing distractions and the team that doesn't need another one.
