No, those others are foolish too then.
Nothing to do with the player. Solely to do with using +/- as a measure of ones defensive ability is ridiculous and shows lack of knowledge.
Exactly you have to look at it with respect to the teams overall +/- or goal differentials.
You also need to consider usage, matchups, and situational GF/GA.
For example, a team that is lower in the standings is more likely to trail in games, thus more likely to give up a greater number of empty net goals. These late game empty net situations typically involve the trailing teams best players. More often than not the trailing team gives up a goal than gets one.
Another example, a team with a poor or negative goal differential is generally more likely to rely on their best players facing the other teams best line defensively. An example of a different situation would be a top team line matching their shutdown 2nd line against top competition when that luxury exists.
In summary, +/- can be useful but more so to compare players on the same team. Comparing players on different teams with different personnel and different ability to deploy their players in certain situations makes it difficult to accurately assess players on different teams head to head. Especially when taken in isolation.
I hadn't even thought of that
