John "Retort"...is every bit a byproduct of the neolithic advisors that still retain influence because they are considered Titans. Don't think for one minute that they didn't bring in this unapologetic asshole for punitive reasons (i.e. players need to shape up or ship out). That was Holmgren's MO when he was GM and when he said they wouldn't keep firing coaches bc players needed to be more accountable. While that may be true in a general sense...your org did a shitty job drafting, developing and getting the right FA's to support the talent you did have and would run into the ground. That mentality I believe has carried over for the last decade now because you still have these failures as advisors corrupting and inhibiting a cultural revolution that is required. So sick of this backward organization...
Sullivan, Brind'Amour are known for holding their players accountable.
Culture isn't enough, but when you bring in talented players to organizations where they're not held accountable (see Chicago since Q departed, for example) you end up with a sloppy team that lacks resilience.
What most top teams have in common are clubhouses with internal leadership, if a HC has to push a team constantly, eventually they tune him out (AV).
The way you get that kind of clubhouse is to subtract the players who lack competitive fire or a first rate work ethic.
The way you identify those players is to initially push your team, see who responds and who doesn't.
I think the reason Torts gets these negative reviews around the league from players who haven't played for him is his public persona, but Sullivan cleared out a lot of players (with the help of Rutherford) when he took over in Pittsburgh, same with Brind'Amour in Carolina. They're just quieter about it, but they got rid of the players who didn't buy in. And I suspect you'd find the same on some other winning teams.
Frost is a good example, Torts hasn't asked him to play physical or compete for a Selke, he just asks him to be responsible defensively and not go MIA for long periods. He got on Tippett for letting his scoring slumps affect the rest of his game. He's pushing York to be more assertive on offense, it's not enough to be quietly effective, he wants York to take a leadership role on the ice and drive play. And so on.
Hayes will go somewhere like Columbus and put up points for a team that won't push him to work hard on defense, but that wasn't going to fly with Torts.
If Sanheim can't handle pressure from Torts to raise his game commiserate with his contract, could you trust him to handle playoff pressure? Top players are under the spotlight in the playoffs.
