Wow.
4 Games and Laine gets benched.
Tortorella has a history of being a temperamental individual. He is living up to his reputation. For most of the second and all the third Patrik Laine was benched in the Blue Jackets game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Tortorella is definitely part of the old boys club and he proved it tonight.
Benching a player can make sense. But Tortorella is benching a superstar talent player in his 3rd game for a brand new team who is also just 22 years old. Players make mistakes. It’s arguable that Laine wasn’t even out of position on the play in question.
But benching a player this early into their tenure the Columbus Blue Jacket appears childish. He could easily have a quick in game conversation, or between periods. It is definitely a move a coach with a struggling team could make to take some heat off themselves.
Hopefully this type of player management becomes antiquated and we can get back to seeing more Laine Bombs.
