Ed Marx with the move to a direct order view (without the batch page), along with many benefits, one side effect that was introduced is that the number of orders on the page can be very large. On a large number of orders, the sorting on certain orders can have a negative impact on performance. This is why sorting was removed.

As we look at solving the business problem you presented, I wonder if it can be done using the predefined filter list that we already have. Would adding a predefined filter by certain statuses address your problem? If I were to add only one or two order statuses, which would have the greatest impact?