By Jordan Long
The Columbus Blue Jackets gave Head Coach John Tortorella a contract extension. It will go through 2018-2019. According to NBCsports.com, General Manager Jarmo Kakalainen said, ”John Tortorella and his coaching staff have done a terrific job since his arrival nearly two years ago. He is one of the top coaches in our game and we are excited about what lies ahead for our club with John as our head coach. Was this the right decision?
Tortorella is entering his 3rd season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the 2015-2016 season, he was hired 7 games into the year. Columbus fired Todd Richards after a 0-7 start. In 75 games, Tortorella coached them to a 34-33-8 record and they finished at 34-40-8 with a total of 76 points, 20 points behind Philadelphia for the second and final Wild Card Spot.
Last season was his first full season behind the Blue Jackets bench. Tortorella was on the hot seat because if Columbus started poorly, he was gone. Luckily for Tortorella, the team played well enough to reach the playoffs with a 50-24-8 record for a total of 108 points. They faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first-round and lost the series in 5 games. Even though they went one and done, Torterella was able to turn the team around and they ended with a 32 point difference from the year before. He won the Jack Adams Award for Coach Of The Year.
Tortorella was going to coach in the final year of his contract. It was set to expire at the end of the upcoming season. The Blue Jackets saw enough of him to extend him for a year. It’s not much of an extension but at least he isn’t worrying about what will happen to him next offseason.
In order for Tortorella to stay longer in Columbus, he must reach the playoffs and the Blue Jackets need to go further than the first-round. If it is 2 more seasons of first-round playoff losses, the Blue Jackets might decide his time is up. For now, it is the right decision to keep Tortorella
What do you think of the Columbus Blue Jackets extending John Tortorella’s contract?
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