Fittingly, there are pros and cons, positives and negatives to the use of the plus/minus stat in hockey. It’s the type of stat that if you want to talk positively about a player, you use, and if you want to avoid criticism, you avoid talking about the stat.
Plus/minus is one of hockey’s most debated stats. The metric tracks the goal differential when a player is on the ice at even strength or shorthanded — a “plus” when their team scores, a “minus” when they’re scored against. While it doesn’t account for all variables (quality of teammates, zone starts, matchups), consistently strong numbers often point to a player who directly or indirectly is influencing his team’s performance positively.
For the New York Islanders last season, the surprise leader in plus/minus was Scott Mayfield at plus-18, tied for the best mark of his career (2018-19). Despite missing time with injuries and playing in a shutdown role, the 32-year-old defenseman posted the team’s best figure in the category.
If you want to take the positive spin, that stat is a testament to his defensive positioning, ability to break up plays, and knack for getting the puck out of danger and moving it up ice efficiently. But these days, it’s hard to find fans who talk positively about Mayfield. The defenseman’s strong plus/minus performance came against the backdrop of lingering criticism over the seven-year contract he signed two summers ago — a deal many fans viewed as too long for a defenseman already past 30.
But plus/minus offers a counterpoint to that narrative. While Mayfield isn’t flashy, he has been trusted in key matchups against top opposition, often starting in the defensive zone and still coming out ahead. His ability to suppress scoring chances while contributing to the team’s overall goal differential underscores his value in ways that don’t show up on the scoresheet. The Islanders weren’t a good team last year, so while plus/minus can be explained away, it must say SOMETHING that he was able to be a plus 18 on a team that allowed 33 more goals than it scored.
In short, while the contract debate won’t go away anytime soon, Mayfield’s plus/minus shows that he’s still capable of making a tangible positive impact for the Isles, regardless of his contract length.