The Tale of Ales Hemsky and the Misleading +/-

Well, I threatened to do it, but I might just as well actually do it. You see, there's been a lot of complaints about the Hemsky contract extension because he only has 5 goals this year and is -35 since the new CBA took effect. The problem with the former, of course, is that he's been hurt and plays on the worst team in the NHL since the lockout. The problem with the latter, is, well, +/- depends partially on both you and what other people on the ice are doing. Play on a line with two identical twins on the west coast and your plus-minus is going to look pretty damned good. Play on a line with two identical (non-Presidential) monkeys and your plus-minus is going to look...well, basically identical to Hemsky's.

So when Copper and Blue wrote a little article with a link to a simulation of how a player's plus-minus can wildly vary without any involvement from him whatsoever I thought they were over-analyzing it for the kind of people who look at 5 goals in a season and don't bother asking "how many games did he play?", "who were his linemates in those games", "was he playing through an injury or coming back from an injury", "what was the quality of the competing players his coach tended to put him on the ice for", or "what other player who's QUALCOMP adjusted ES/60 offensive output could we have gotten on the open market for a better rate?". So here are the reasons Ales Hemsky's plus-minus doesn't matter:

Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.
Ales Hemsky has played for the worst team in the NHL since the lockout.