Follow @james_tanner123 Since +/- is the NHL's worst stat, I thought it would make sense to appropriate it and make it useful as we review the best and worst of the past week in the NHL.
MINUS: The Edmonton Oilers winning the draft lottery.
MINUS: The Coyotes moving down and getting absolutely screwed. Sure, the odds were 2 in 3 that that would happen, but come on. Edmonton? Seriously?
PLUS: McDavid looked like he wanted to cry when he heard the news. Now, I am not saying he would have been jumping for joy if the Coyotes won the lottery, but it the vindictive, immature part of me was happy to see that the Oilers new best player was unhappy to be going there.
Hypothetical Plus: If McDavid decides he won't play anywhere but Toronto, ensuring a Lindros-like situation. Clearly the kid wants to play for the Leafs, hopefully he decides to make it happen.
MINUS: The Team that traded Wayne Gretzky getting Connor McDavid. Kind of makes you want to puke.
MINUS: That I couldn't just retire to my blanket fort and subsist on tears and Emily Dickenson for the next week after hearing the news that neither the Coyotes or Leafs won the lottery.
Apparently, I'm an adult.
PLUS: I am writing this on a brand new laptop. Hurray for me. At the age of 33 I finally have a good piece of equipment to do my work on. For the last ten years I used a patchwork collection of used computers that were gifted or sold cheaply to me. I figured I spent about $250 over ten years on my computers - Canadian Currency!
MINUS: I hate fat-cats so much and am so used to being at least kind of poor (It's all relative, I realize since I've never eaten catfood (PLUS) that technically I've never been that poor) that I can't even really feel good about my new purchase.
I can spend money on CDs which collectively probably amounts to more over a year than the computer costs and never bat an eye, but major purchases give me fat-cat anxiety.
PLUS: The Playoffs. I guess. I tried to spin it positive, but no Leafs or Coyotes really blows.
MINUS: Chicago and Nashville playing each other in the first round. If the NHL needs further proof (beyond the fact that the team that won the third most regulation games is not in the playoffs) that their standings and seeding system need a massive tweak or two, it can look at this series and realize how dumb it is that one of these teams won't see second round.
PLUS: The Oilers and Coyotes should immediately begin working on a Yakupov for Gormley trade.
PLUS: Hanifin or Strome. That's a pretty good pick and you can't go wrong. But you know what you can do if you're Don Maloney? Immediately begin seeing what the Leafs will give you to swap picks. They clearly want to get Strome - and weird pornstache aside, he sees like a great pick - and the Coyotes have always been a team that loves having a top-notch Defense corps. If you add Hanifin to OEL, Stone, Murphy and Gornley you are going to have one of the best collections of defenseman in the NHL. Maybe ever, depending on how good these guys turn out.
All you need is a veteran to join the group - Toronto has Dion Phaneuf. The Coyotes have a lot of decent forward prospects, maybe the 3rd pick and someone like Dvorak or MacInnis to the Leafs for Phaneuf and a pick swap - it's a deal that helps both teams.
PLUS: In the last two days I watched National Treasure, Boogie Nights and Snakes on a Plane (never seen it before) and they were all awesome. What a classic combo of Movies. Snakes on a Plane is the best example of something being so bad it's good, that I've ever seen, Boogie Nights is a masterpiece and I like anything with Nick Cage.
PLUS: I am just going to say it: National Treasure > Indiana Jones.
MINUS: The Jets going down 2-0.
PLUS: The Jets will still win the series.
PLUS: It's not the nicest hattrick you'll ever see, but Tarasenko becomes more and more my favorite player ever week. He has so many different ways he can score it blows your mind.