If John Tortorella Is the Answer, What Exactly Is the Question?
I have to admit that when Elliotte Friedman mentioned John Tortorella as a possible candidate for the Maple Leafs coaching job, my first reaction was simple: Really? Tortorella hadn't been on my radar at all.
A lot of names are floating around as potential Maple Leafs’ coaching candidates.
Like a lot of fans, I had been thinking about the names already floating around the rumour mill. Tortorella wasn't one of them. But the more I thought about Friedman's comment, the more I realized that the interesting part isn't whether Tortorella could coach the Maple Leafs. The interesting part is what hiring him would say about what the Maple Leafs think is wrong with themselves.
That's the real story. If new Maple Leafs GM John Chayka eventually decides Tortorella is his man, he's making a statement. They would essentially be saying that talent isn't the issue. Skill isn't the issue. The roster isn't the issue. The issue, in their minds, would be accountability, structure, habits, and culture. And that's the same question that led to Craig Berube's firing.
Related: Mitch Marner Still ‘Haunted’ by Maple Leafs Narrative.
Tortorella comes with either baggage or a reputation, depending on how you look at it.
After all, that's what Tortorella has represented for most of his career. His teams are expected to work. They are expected to defend. They are expected to be responsible in all three zones. Nobody gets special treatment because they score 40 goals.
The thing is, haven't we already seen this movie? When the Maple Leafs hired Craig Berube, he arrived with a Stanley Cup ring, a reputation for accountability, and a belief that teams win when everybody commits to a certain way of playing. At least from a distance, that doesn't sound entirely different from the sales pitch Tortorella would bring.
It's pretty clear that Berube was not the answer for the Maple Leafs.
A year later, the Leafs are still searching for answers. That's why I'm not convinced Tortorella is necessarily the solution. Not because he isn't a good coach. He is. But because the team may have reached the point where changing the voice behind the bench isn't enough.
At some point, every organization has to ask a difficult question. Is the problem the message or the people hearing it? The Maple Leafs have spent years looking for the right coach. Mike Babcock. Sheldon Keefe. Craig Berube. Maybe now Tortorella enters the conversation.
For the Maple Leafs, different coaches, same result.
Each coach has been different. The results have often looked remarkably similar. Which brings me back to the thought Friedman's comment sparked in the first place.
If John Tortorella is the answer, what exactly is the question? Before the Maple Leafs hire another coach, they need to be absolutely certain they understand what they're trying to fix.