PLUS/MINUS might be the NHL's worst stat, but this is it's best blog, according to my Gramma's recently published Hockey Blogger Review which she self-published on Amazon and is available for 33 cents.
They say I'm the most positive guy on my block - like Jenny, but with more hair and more denim. But today's edition of PLUS/MINUS, well, it should come with a box of tissue - as there seems to be a preponderance of MINUSes. I'm going for righteous indignation here, not whining, but - full disclosure - studies show that at least 8% of people can't tell the difference.
MINUS: The Rio Olympics. Why bother? Nationalism, track and field, corruption, horror stories about venues and displaced people. The Olympics continue to be the worst. At least there's no hockey at this one.
MINUS: If the Predators go into next season with Pekka Rinne as their starter, they will be a middle-of-the-pack team when they could be the Cup Favorite - along with Pittsburgh and (depending) Tampa. They are a good to great goalie away from being a dominant force in the NHL.
Prediction: Before October, Ben Bishop takes an unusual new interest in country music.
MINUS: The fact that the Leafs even talked about talking about signing Kris Russel. We're talking replacement level player here and one less roster spot for the type of fast, puck moving defenseman who actually helps you win games.
Now, almost nothing leaks from the Leafs camp, so it might be a total fabrication to say they were interested. I hope so. Because if not then I say:
MINUS: Lou Lamoriello. His ridiculous rules about performance bonuses, facial hair, not talking to the media and whatever other eccentric stupidity he enforces is only cute if he's the adviser. If he moves the team away from the way they were going, and if he forces Kyle Dubas to take a job elsewhere, then getting him may have been a terrible decision.
If the Leafs are sticking with the plan, if Dubas does in fact succeed him and they maintain their position as a forward thinking, analytics using team, then Lou can keep his PLUS.
MINUS: The OHL and the other leagues that make up Canadian Junior Hockey should not be able to get away with making profits off players they don't pay. It's unconscionable. It's unfair and it should be illegal.
It's shameful.
MINUS: Jake Gardiner is an elite, #1, top-line defenseman, with an amazing contract.
He is the Leafs #1. Not Morgan Rielly. It is highly unlikely Morgan Rielly ever reaches Gardiner's level. Also, his biggest impacts are defensive and he skates like the wind and is one of the best defensive defenseman in the NHL. After Auston Matthews, he is the Leafs' most important player.
Can we please recognize him as this?
MINUS: "Top Six Forwards" or ":Top Six/ Bottom Six" or "Can he play in the top six?"
NO. "Top Six" is Dead. Teams need balance, they should try to have 3 x #1 Centres. They should have balance up and down their lineup and work towards more even ice-times for players who aren't elite. They should take advantage of how bad most teams 3rd and 4th lines are by having scoring and youth on those lines.
You shouldn't have a just checkers on your bottom six because you shouldn't have any checkers in your lineup - if you can't skate, can't score, you can't play.
MINUS: For the last time, "impactful" is not a word and the definition of insanity has nothing to do with what you expect out of results.
PLUS: The filmography of Nicholas Cage is magnificent.
MINUS: I love when people say 'Just Saying."
PLUS: The Coyotes have Strome, Dvorak, Keller and MacInnis as their C prospects. That's pretty amazing.
The Leafs have Nylander, Matthews and Kadri. The Oilers have RNH, Draisaitl and McDavid.
My losery trifecta is going to be a lot more fun to watch, starting now.
MINUS: Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson was a bad trade - because Taylor Hall is a 5v5 scoring machine, was stupidly blamed for losing and the idea of 'culture' in the NHL is beyond stupid, (It could only be described accurately in an R rated environment where I was free to use profanity, mock people and make unflattering, offensive comparisons).
However, I let me make an unpopular opinion: Adam Larsson is so good defensively, and the NHL (including it's best crowd-sourcing stats guys) have such an under-appreciation for defense (actual defense, not "Kris Russel" Defense) that Larsson's lack of offensive success is making him under-appreciated.
Let me try a thought exercise here and defend the Taylor Hall Trade:
1. The Oilers are not hurting for offense and, in fact, probably have the best group of forwards the salary cap era has ever seen.
2. Taylor Hall has a pretty big injury history and is a higher than average risk to get hurt.
3. Allows them to address needs while keeping their 3 x # 1 C model in place (McDavid, RNH, Draisaitl).
4. Gives them better lineup balance.
5. Gives them an elite defender, who is right handed and cheaper. And possibly, the Oilers have someone on their staff who truley understands how to value defense.
6. They were immediately able to somewhat address Hall's absence with Lucic.
Now, I still think it's a horrible trade because Taylor Hall is as elite as they come and the opportunity cost is massive. However, if (and I mean IF) Larsson can provide defense on an elite level, perhaps it's not the worst thing ever, as I have been wont to say.
PLUS: Blueberry Yop. It's so good I'm not even getting paid to say this.
MINUS: Unpopular Opinion #235: I think Jamie Benn might have just got massively overpaid. He's a point-per-game scorer, but his defensive impacts are not that great.
For the next 4 years, Jamie Benn will make $4.5 million more than Taylor Hall.
Benn is 27. Kucherov is 23. I know who I'd rather have. Can't wait to see what Nikita gets paid.
PLUS: Watching how the Lightning go forward with their roster is going to be exciting. I bet the reason no one has traded for Ben Bishop is because they want to see if Kucherov, Palat, Johnson, Namestnikov or Killorn become available first.
PLUS: ownthepuck.blogspot.ca is where you get Hero Charts. They are amazing. Great thanks to Dominic Galamini for putting on a great show.
Thanks also to Eklund for making this possible, and to my man EO behind the scenes.
Thanks to WaronIce, and whoever was bringing that to us. Thanks also to Corica.hockey and whoever is now bringing us that.
And thanks to my Mom for keeping the A.C blasting in the basement and for agreeing to lay off the Chris deBurgh so I can get some writing done.
MINUS: I saw at least two different people (both of whom make more money than me and, one assume's, have credentials) refer to Antoinne Vermette as a "top-six centre" this week.
That is so lazy that, when reached for comment, Marc Bergevin expressed concern over how they keep their job in the face of incompetence.
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