Obviously you can go more in depth than just plus/minus. But plus/minus is always a great indication of how well a DMan is playing. Especially if the team in front of him has been average. Again, plus 9 doesnt just happen unless you're having a positive effect on the play. i dont care how many hits, block shots ect he has, but if he's on the ice for more goals for than against, then that is a positive situation any way you look at it. how many hits does Tanev have this year? 8 hits... yet he has probably been are best defensive defenseman. And Edler is ahead of Garrison in real-time stats, yet has been playing horribly defensively and is minus 2. And i think we can all agree that Kasian has been pretty suspect in his own zone this year, and not surprisingly, he is a team low minus 7. Plus/Minus matters and I would say it's a STRONG indication of a DMan's play at this point of the season.