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Montreal Canadiens
Overall: 98
Title track: 50
Ownership: 83
Coaching: 117
Players: 98
Fan relations: 83
Affordability: 113
Stadium experience: 78
Bang for the buck: 93
Change from last year: -44
The 24-time Stanley Cup champs enjoyed the best start in their storied history before they imploded last season -- a campaign that ended without a playoff berth for the first time since 2012. Carey Price, the NHL's top goaltender, has recovered from the knee injury that torpedoed his team in 2015-16. But all isn't well in Montreal, where coach Michel Therrien is in fans' crosshairs following a blockbuster trade that sent popular defenseman P.K. Subban to Nashville for fellow blueliner Shea Weber.
What's good
A healthy Price makes the Habs a contender, the only reason a team that finished 22nd in the NHL last season has such a respectable title track. And while most pundits think the Predators won the Subban-Weber deal -- at 27, the slick-skating Subban is four years younger than his former Olympic teammate -- Weber's take-no-prisoners approach will toughen a team that was too easy to play against last season. The arrival of agitator Andrew Shaw, a tough-checking center who won a Cup with Chicago in 2013, adds additional grit.
What's bad
Despite the massive overall drop, one thing remains constant: It still costs a small fortune to attend a game at Centre Bell (113th in affordability). Just six NHL teams have a higher average ticket price than Montreal's $73.67. Still, fans might consider it a bargain just to boo Therrien. The fifth-year coach's inscrutable lineup decisions and prickly demeanor made him unpopular in the mostly French-speaking city even before l'affair Subban. Now, he's Public Enemy No. 1, with the Canadiens' coaching ranked dead last in the NHL. Clearly, most would rather have seen the man behind the bench moved out instead.
What's new
Owner Geoff Molson was hailed as a hero two summers ago, when he overruled general manager Marc Bergevin (according to the Montreal Gazette) and inked Subban to a nine-year contract extension worth $72 million. The deal included a no-trade clause, but Molson didn't stop Bergevin from dealing the flashy defenseman days before it kicked in this July. "It was an opportunity for Marc to make our team better, and I think he's done that," Molson said afterward. We'll see. Meantime, Molson's standing among the faithful took a massive hit. Ownership dropped 63 spots, while Bang for the Buck, after another playoff-less season, also fell 42.
Next: Boston Bruins | Full rankings