Leafs: Is Nazem Kadri a Prime Example of What’s Wrong With Plus/Minus?
By Paul Taylor
Does Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri highlight the flaws of the plus/minus rating, or does he serve as a prime example of why it works?
With Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel gone, Nazem Kadri has taken over the mantle as most polarizing player among Toronto Maple Leafs fans. Few Toronto athletes can invoke such contrasting emotions in Leafs nation.
For each person who sees unlimited potential, there is someone who views it as wasted talent. For everyone who claims Kadri is on the verge of breaking out, there is somebody else who argues he hasn’t got the work ethic to succeed.
In that respect, you can make a case for the NHL’s plus/minus rating being almost as polarizing as the 2009 seventh overall draft pick. It has led to numerous arguments among people as to how effective it actually is.
More from Toronto Maple Leafs
- Maple Leafs Rumours: Half of NHL teams interested in Ilya Mikheyev
- Toronto Maple Leafs: How to address the goaltender position
- Leafs reward Timothy Liljegren with extension after breakout season
- Maple Leafs: Jack Campbell situation becoming increasingly uncertain
- Jason Spezza retires, joins Toronto Maple Leafs front office
Bringing up this statistic when discussing Kadri, only serves to further widen the gap between the two sides. On the surface at least, his plus/minus rating of -14 looks bad, ranking as third-worst on the Leafs. (For what it’s worth, he’s 46th lowest in the league, as of March 29.)
Further, it is acknowledged that a lot of NHL coaches do put some value in the plus/minus statistic. However, there should be emphasis on the word “some”.
Where the rating starts to break down is when you can benefit from little to no assistance on a goal, just because you were on the ice. Likewise, it can go against you, even if you were not responsible for your team conceding a goal.
In fact, as Jonas Siegel of The Canadian Press writes, via the Toronto Sun, the latter is where Kadri gets unnecessarily penalized. As Siegel points out, the 25-year old has been on the ice for eight of the 11 empty-net goals the Leafs have conceded this season.
At least Kadri can take comfort in knowing his coach takes this into consideration. As Mike Babcock told Siegel: “Sometimes you get screwed for being a good player, so I take it right out of the mix and then I add up and I see where they’re at.”
It should be noted Babcock isn’t entirely against the stat, pointing to Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom, who sits 10th on the all-time list, with a plus-450 rating. On the flip side, no one would claim Chris Kunitz is more valuable than Sidney Crosby, despite having a vastly superior rating this season for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
When it’s all said and done, the plus/minus rating will always have people on opposing sides of the fence. The same applies to Kadri.
Ultimately though, no matter if you are for or against the London, Ontario native, there is no denying he is under pressure to perform more consistently on the ice. And unlike the plus/minus rating, this is something he has total control over.
Next: Nazem Kadri scores game-winner on career night
Where do you stand on the plus/minus rating? Are you for or against it, and why? In addition, do you still see Nazem Kadri as part of the long-term future in Toronto? Let us know in the comments section below.