Polak mentioned during a discussion about Max Pacioretty's situation with the Vegas Golden Knights on The Cam and Strick Podcast, how management in Toronto was very carefree and hands-off regarding pressure to win, from ownership to management, which may have changed since Mike Babcock's departure.
However, in St. Louis as a rookie, he felt enormous pressure from the top-down, from ownership to management, to compete for his job daily and win on the ice.
Polak stuck with the Maple Leafs until after the 2017-2018 season, where he ended up with the Dallas Stars for 2 seasons, before heading back to play in the Czech league.