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Philadelphia Flyers
Overall: 81
Title track: 70
Ownership: 45
Coaching: 95
Players: 74
Fan relations: 57
Affordability: 95
Stadium experience: 62
Bang for the buck: 107
Change from last year: -21
The Flyers' second engraving on the Stanley Cup is officially over the hill and facing a midlife crisis: the 1975 title -- the franchise's last -- turned 40 this year. Last season's sixth-place finish in the Metropolitan Division did nothing to end that streak and, after a third straight year that ended either before the postseason or in the first round, Philadelphia sank 21 spots in our standings to 81st -- 81st!
What's good
The Wells Fargo Center might be 20 years old, but it's still among Flyers fans' favorite features: Stadium experience comes in at 62nd, one of Philly's best showings. Dollar Dog and Dollar Pretzel nights certainly don't hurt, nor does the arena's central location on Philly's Broad Street, just steps from the other home stadiums. But the Flyers' best showing came in the ownership category, where 45th-ranked Ed Snider took the words right out of fans' mouths in a Philadelphia Daily News article earlier this year: "'You don't say when you've got [Claude] Giroux, and you've got [Jakub] Voracek, and you've got [Steve] Mason and you've got the kind of pieces like [Wayne] Simmonds that we have, that, 'Hey, you've got to be patient, we might make the playoffs in two or three years. [Bleep] that.'" Philly!
What's bad
Well, a lot was bad for the Flyers last year. They took a nosedive, dropping double digits in four categories. Two of their worst showings were related to their rising costs, though: Affordability remained in the bottom third of all teams, flirting with triple digits at 95th, and bang for the buck dropped all the way to No. 107 (down 24 spots from last year). The Flyers boast the seventh-most expensive ticket in the NHL, up another 7 percent from last year. After a season in which the team missed the playoffs, fans are understandably let down.
What's new
Philly's largest fall came in the coaching category, where the team dropped 44 places to 95th. Despite two winning seasons, Craig Berube was fired in April; GM Ron Hextall said he should have gotten more out of the roster. If incoming coach Dave Hakstol's large salary (he's making $2M per year, on par with most NHL coaches who've won a title) is any indication, it will be a welcome change. But forgive fans for being unconvinced so far: Hakstol took the University of North Dakota to seven Frozen Fours, but he has never been a head coach in the NHL. If fans see improvement in his first season in charge, no doubt the Flyers will climb back up these rankings.
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