Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella is fresh off of a one year extension which will keep him in Columbus until the 2018-2019 season. Although he has only been with the team a short time, he has quickly shown that he is one of the pieces that was missing from the puzzle.
The Columbus Blue Jackets fans have been confused since it was announced that John Tortorella has only been given a one year contract extension. However it was likely the right move.
If anything were to happen and Tortorella were to fall out of favor with management then as a result get fired; John P McConnell and the rest of the ownership group would be forced to continue to pay his salary until the contract expires.
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With the Blue Jackets already being in more of a financial bind than other NHL teams, it would be a logical preference to make sure no money goes to waste.
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The next two years will be very important for Tortorella’s future as a Columbus Blue Jacket. He does not need to win another Jack Adams trophy or anything of the sort to earn another extension. All he will need would be continued growth and consistency from the team.
The Blue Jackets should make it to the post season at least one of the next two years and be close to making it if they happen to miss one year. However they must make it out of the first round within this time frame.
If the Jackets make the playoffs in one of the two years, and make it to the conference final then it can be seen as a success. But if the team simply makes the playoffs for both the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 it can also be seen as a success as long as one playoff run goes further than the first round. Either one of these would likely see him earn a long term extension.
If John Tortorella can lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to regular season consistency and post-season growth over the next two seasons, he will prove he is sustainable for Columbus. If he fails to do so, then he will likely be the next in a long line of Blue Jackets coaches to be relieved of their duties.