"PLUS/MINUS is the NHL's best stat, and the only one I use"
- Craig Button*
MINUS: Max Domi being on the trade block. He hasn't come close to living up to expectations, and he has four goals. The problem is two-fold here - he's been about as big a bust as it's been possible to be, and he isn't exactly the most likable guy. It's hard to say what his value would even be. We're talking four goals and and a one dimensional game that may or may not even know what defense is.
Then again, he's got talent and is only 22. The problem is that a former blue-chip prospect who is having his worst season isn't exactly a sell high candidate. If anything sums up this season for the Coyotes, it's the fact that Domi has gone from stud to dud so quickly.
MINUS: I swear man, my head will explode if another person mentions Oliver Ekman Larson being - 38 or whatever it is, as if that's proof that he isn't an awesome player. It's been a decade since we have been making fun of people for using plus/minus to evaluate players. I know we don't exactly have a rep as an evidence based society, but come one!!! It's been ten years! At this point, using plus/minus to evaluate a player is like making a 'wazzzuuuuuuuup' reference.
We know for a fact that bad teams have good players. Just for the record, future first ballot hall of famer Zedeno Chara has three seasons in his career where he was -20 or worse. It's almost like playing the most minutes on a bad team will affect this stat!
Ekman-Larsson is +4.9% Corsi-for relative to his team. Put him on any half-way decent team and he's a top 3-5 defenseman in the league. He is having a great year, it's just being obfiscated by the $$($-Show that is the Coyotes 2017-18 season.
MINUS: Jim Benning getting an extension. If Hockey Buzz signed me to a lifetime ten million dollar deal, they'd be getting better value than the Canucks are here. Of course, the real problem in Vancouver is Trevor Linden, which is exactly why you should never hire a local legend to run your team. Linden should have been fired years ago.
PLUS: The Rangers Memo. It was refreshing to see a team take an honest approach to a rebuild. Again though, if you're going to start fresh, why keep Sather and Gorton? Glen Sather still being in the NHL would be like if Steve Erkle didn't have to work at Staples.
PLUS: It's fun being a Leafs fan for once. Who know that was even possible?
PLUS: Talbot's rant about goalie interference. How can a 100 year old league have no clue about one of it's main rules? Truly pathetic.
MINUS: Say what you want about Chiarelli - and he's awful - but the Oilers are a bad team this year for one reason: bad puck luck. Otherwise, they're a pretty dominant team that should be a lock for the Playoffs even with a worse roster than they have.
The 'get a puck moving defenseman' crowd who has no clue how good Oscar Klefbom actually is, is amusing, but I do worry that Chiarelli himself might be part of this crowd.
MINUS: Trading Erik Karlsson. If you do that, you might as well just sell your team and move to Quebec.
If Ottawa can't move their team closer to the city, they'd be smart to switch to afternoon games, and to arrange some kind of free transit from the city to the arena. They should also try to become a party team, do tailgates and have cheap beer.
MINUS: To everyone who thinks the Capitals are for real, just look at what the Senators did last year and how they are this year. That's Xhibit A.
PLUS: This is Xhibit B:
PLUS: I showed this earlier, but I think it's pretty sweet, so here's an encore: My rink at night.
PLUS: The Trade Deadline is upon us. Even though it's almost always as disappointing as your friend's girlfriend's friend, it's the potential that counts. I can't wait.
That's pretty much it for me, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go skating out back for the rest of the day then ruin my diet by gorging on Chinese Food. Happy made-up Holiday to you and yours!!
Washington Capitals Blogger • 
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