John Tortorella is not happy with Pierre Luc-Dubois

[Number 57]

Does anyone actually like playing for torts?

The only guy who has repeated he liked Torts is Martin St.Louis and that's basically because MSL was a talented player that nobody gave a shot to because he was 5 ft. 6 and one day Torts decided to plug MSL with Vinny cause he had no other option and that kickstarted Martin's career. And then they won the Cup.

No one else likes Torts

 

[Rabid Ranger]

What'd honestly be worse to you; this, or him being too thin-skinned to handle Tortorella yelling at him?

That's what I meant by being soft.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

I don't know what to make about this but it's starting to piss me off that every time a good player is in Columbus, they want to leave.
The real test will be when it's time for Jones and Werenski to decide.
If they pull off a Jones for Johansen level trade, then it will not matter. Patience is required in these situations.

 

[CheldishGamibno]

PLD is really coming across as a soft primadona here.

Demanding out just because his coach is hard on him?

He is even close to being good enough to start making these kind of demands.

We've only heard speculations, there might be other reasons than this. I wouldn't be surprised if we learn it was because of Torts though

 

[jetsv2]

That's a weird title....as if any coach would be happy with someone who wants to leave their team.

I woulda went with "John Tortorella confirms PLD wants out but doesn't know why"

Laine wants to be traded, and Maurice has been singing his praises since the day camp started. So not every coach with a disgruntled player would be calling them out in the media.

 

[OrrNumber4]

What's going on in Columbus? Panarin, Bobrovsky, Jones, now PLD?

 

[BlueMed]

What's going on in Columbus? Panarin, Bobrovsky, Jones, now PLD?

What's the news with Jones?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Does anyone actually like playing for torts?

Yes. Most of them do actually.

Even players who at the time hate Torts always think back about how much he helped them later in their careers. Notable example is Michael Del Zotto, who had many PTO offers, but chose Columbus because of Tortorella.

Players acknowledge playing for him is tough. However, most seem to think his criticism is fair, always out in the open and not hidden, and professional.

Here's some quotes from current and former players on Torts: from this article John Tortorella, his volatile, confrontational style, and the reckoning of coaches across hockey

What saves Tortorella in his relationships — not just with players, but management and media, etc. — are the times when he’s genuinely kind and caring, his current and former players said.

He’s on a first-name basis with bus drivers and rink techs in several cities along the NHL circuit. He’s well known for his activism in rescuing dogs and horses. When a player needs an afternoon or a day to deal with a family matter, he demands they get away from the team for as long as they need.

Dubinsky made an interesting observation, too. In all of those YouTube blow-ups in New York, and in some of his other famous fracases — charging the Calgary Flames’ dressing room in Vancouver in 2013-14, for instance — there was a common theme.

“If you look at all of those clips … you realize he’s actually protecting his players,” Dubinsky said. “He’s stepping in front of his guys. People can think about him however they want, but in his mind, he doing these things because he’s protecting his players.

“It’s kind of interesting. We’re talking on one hand about coaches out there who abuse their players, and here’s a coach that people might think is crazy or a lunatic, but he’s actually protecting his players.”

“I liked him as a coach, to be honest with you,” Duclair said. “You guys may think otherwise, but behind the scenes, he was great to me and I learned a lot from him. I was pretty happy to get coached by him last year.
“He’s a great person off the ice if you get to know John personally. He’s a great guy and the players like him. He’s got a lot of respect and I wish him nothing but the best for success.”

“Just like any other player, we’ve had our moments, good and bad,” said Atkinson, the Blue Jackets’ longest-tenured player. “But it’s built our relationship. I have nothing bad to say about him, nor will I ever.
“I kind of like it when we get into those ‘f*** you’ matches. He looks at you a little differently after that. But he’s been my coach for, what, five seasons now? He’s been great to me.”

 

[CBJWerenski8]

What's the news with Jones?

Nothing. No clue what he's talking about.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Lol any player can demand a trade whenever they want and have it be "rightful".

Players owe no loyalty to teams because teams will never reciprocate that loyalty.

Yeah? How about this for loyalty.



Listen to the reaction when he is picked (3rd overall, by the way. Which is a commitment they placed into him.) It's literal shock. Why? Because the Jackets went rogue, they picked someone outside of the "big three" of the draft. They were chastised for it. Mocked, and thrown in the dumpster. PLD as a player was also openly mocked and ridiculed for getting drafted over Puljujarvi after PLD struggled in his draft +1 season a bit, and after he had a bad showing for Canada at the WJC. You know who stuck by him? Refused to include him in any trade for Matt Duchene (who the Jackets were in hot pursuit for before he got traded to Ottawa)? The management team. The very same management team that drafted and stuck by him. I am usually pro-player, especially with the CBJ since they have their own share of messes they caused or stoked the flames of (Bobrovsky, Anderson, and Johansen), but this is 100% on PLD as far as I know.

From day one he got top 6 minutes with us. Yeah, he EARNED it himself, but he was also given some very friendly confines in order to succeed. Seems like a good relationship right? PLD acknowledged the criticism in his draft +1 year and the draft reaction added fuel to his fire as a growing player. Seems like at EVERY point where the Jackets needed to show loyalty or praise in way of PLD they have given it including in an 8 year contract offer, something the Jackets have never done out of ELC, when his ELC expired.

PLD has been shown nothing but praise and loyalty from his team and organization. He decided that didn't matter and wants out, for reasons we don't know and probably won't know until he's traded. But what we do know is this.

1. He has been on the top line his entire career here. Including time with some great linemates.

2. He has NO IDEA what real losing is like. He has never NOT made the playoffs in his career. Lots of players would take that.

3. He evidently liked and believed in the city/team enough to commit to buying a home here in AUGUST.

PLD looks like a complete asshole in this situation, and thinking otherwise to me is just incomprehensible.

Does he have a right to ask for a trade? Yup. But unless something really messed up happened behind the scenes with him and someone/some people in the organization, it is a bad look on his character. He's had it good here.

 

[ViD]

I don't know what to make about this but it's starting to piss me off that every time a good player is in Columbus, they want to leave.
The real test will be when it's time for Jones and Werenski to decide.
If they pull off a Jones for Johansen level trade, then it will not matter. Patience is required in these situations.

If you think about, defenders and goalies must like Torts, he elevates their game

 

[Fatass]

What's going on in Columbus? Panarin, Bobrovsky, Jones, now PLD?

Players thinking they’re not being fairly compensated?

 

[Mr Positive]

What's going on in Columbus? Panarin, Bobrovsky, Jones, now PLD?

Well it seems to date it's about money. They are also smart imo. Panarin is great but 11 million is a lot, especially in the later years. Of course the Bobrovsky situation is a bullet dodged. As for PLD, hes a great piece to build around, and was great in the playoffs, but what if he wants Matthews or Eichel type money? At his production? I bet the friction is about cash and Columbus is just being smart

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Does anyone actually like playing for torts?

Seth Jones says he loves and needs the constant accountability to keep him at his best.

 

[Absolut]

Does anyone actually like playing for torts?

Panarin seemed to like Torts. He just didn't want to live in Columbus.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Panarin seemed to like Torts. He just didn't want to live in Columbus.

More like he wanted to live in New York. I wish people would get this story straight.

Panarin liked Columbus. He just wanted more. Which is why his top two destinations were New York and Florida (IE, Miami). You will never see Panarin speak ill on the city of Columbus. Ever.

 

[dahrougem2]

PLD looks like a complete asshole in this situation, and thinking otherwise to me is just incomprehensible.

Does he have a right to ask for a trade? Yup. But unless something really messed up happened behind the scenes with him and someone/some people in the organization, it is a bad look on his character. He's had it good here.

If the organization decided they wanted to trade Dubois because they felt like their team would be better, but Dubois wanted to stay, would that make the Blue Jackets assholes and thinking otherwise is incomprehensible? Or are they well within their rights to do that?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

If the organization decided they wanted to trade Dubois because they felt like their team would be better, but Dubois wanted to stay, would that make the Blue Jackets assholes and thinking otherwise is incomprehensible? Or are they well within their rights to do that?

Depends on the situation. In what other ways did PLD commit himself to the team to prove he wanted to stay? Is he a captain? A leader in the community? Etc.

If these answers are yes, then yes, the CBJ would be assholes.

 

[foggyvisor]

More like he wanted to live in New York. I wish people would get this story straight.

Panarin liked Columbus. He just wanted more. Which is why his top two destinations were New York and Florida (IE, Miami). You will never see Panarin speak ill on the city of Columbus. Ever.

Actions speak louder than words. He split.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Actions speak louder than words. He split.

Literally has nothing to do with the conversation.

You can like where you are and still want to be somewhere else. This is the case with Panarin and Columbus.

 

[easton117]

I always thought of a guy like Torts is giving you a hard time you should take it as a compliment because he thinks highly of you, wants you to excel.

He doesn’t come off as a guy that would waste time in life with anything or anyone that isn’t worth it.

Hard to see that as a young guy though.

 

[57special]

Do we actually know that Torts is the reason that PLD wants to leave?

 

[jonlin]

It sounds like choice between my 1C and coach. If I'm the GM and I have that choice it's goodbye Torts.

Then you are one stupid GM. Players learn that they can play the GM and get coaches fired for nothing.

 

[jonlin]

Laine wants to be traded, and Maurice has been singing his praises since the day camp started. So not every coach with a disgruntled player would be calling them out in the media.

Laine hasnt gone public stating he wants to be traded. There is a difference here.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

John Tortorella is not happy with John Tortorella