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.
PLUS: Rookie camp opens next week, real camp the week after. But who cares? Training Camp is interesting only in comparison to the Summer. The good part? We're only a month away from opening night.
MINUS: The Coyotes don't open until Friday night against the Kings. The nice part is that we get to play the Kings first thing, but the weak part is that every team should play Wednesday.
MINUS: The jerks in both my annual hockey pools want to wait until closer to the season to do a hockey pool. I need a practice draft because I really want to win the Karate Man trophy this year after a disastrous last season , not to mention the baseball pool which is really killing me lately.
Like every year, I draft smart, make some great early trades and then I get cocky and think I'm an invincible GM so I try to pull off a bizarre blockbuster that leaves everyone wondering what I was thinking, and which inevitably blows up in face. I always just make one too many trades and screw myself.
This year I savaged my pitching for no reason - I was already in first. Will I ever learn?
PLUS: New Order
PLUS: If you're one of my regular readers/commentors I'd like to invite you to come do a Yahoo hockey pool with me. If we can, we'll draft it out tomorrow night. I need the draft practice in a more competitive environment than the mock-draft provides.
If you've ever dreamed of being able to trash talk me without swear filters and fear of being banned from the website, send me a PM, either here or on Twitter, and we'll get this bad boy going.
Due to possible legal issues, we'll play for bragging rights only.
MINUS: The Edmonton Oilers. I'll try not to cry about this anymore, but I have two teams I cheer for and they both had a shot at McDavid. Who gets him? The guys with 56 other first-overall picks in the lineup.
It still stings. Still, Strome is a nice consolation prize.
PLUS: The Edmonton Oilers. My only problem with them is one of jealousy. In reality, I think they've assembled the most exciting team in hockey and I absolutely cannot wait to watch them play. I think a Cup is almost a guarantee within the next couple of years. They for sure make the Playoffs this season, and like I've said, I believe they'll challenge for the Conference Title.
PLUS: Its not cool to think of Strome in comparison to what the Coyotes could have had. The guy is awesome and anything less than him becoming the Coyotes all-time best forward will be a disappointment.
My prediction is that he is so good during his nine game audition that the Coyotes just keep him in the NHL. Remember, most first-overall picks jump right to the NHL and in most years, that's what Strome would be.
The situation here is perfect for him because the Coyotes are woefully thin up front. If Strome can step directly into the NHL, then instead of looking at a BRUTAL 1-2 of Hanzal-Vermette, the Coyotes have a 1a - 1b type of situation with Strome and Hanzal and use Vermette down in the lineup where he actually might be effective.
MINUS: The fact that I think Strome will have to score 9 points in 9 games just to be considered for this team.
MINUS: When the biggest NHL news is "Chris Phillips Suffers Minor Setback" oh man, I am jonesing for a trade or something. No offense to Chris Phillips of course, but come on.
MINUS: Maybe I'm overrating T.J Oshie, but how does he get traded for Troy Brouwer? Seems ridiculous to me.
Thanks for reading.