This story is part of ESPN The Magazine's Oct. 12 Owners Issue. Subscribe today!
Buffalo Sabres
Overall: 60
Title track: 81
Ownership: 29
Coaching: 66
Players: 73
Fan relations: 90
Affordability: 18
Stadium experience: 72
Bang for the buck: 47
Change from last year: +2
With the Cleveland Cavaliers taking home a NBA championship this year, Buffalo now becomes a front-runner for most tortured sports town in America. But while the Sabres finished the 2015-16 season at just 35-36-11, there is hope for their faithful. The team's 81 points were the most since 2011-12, and rookie sensation Jack Eichel lit the lamp 24 times.
What's good
Owner Terry Pegula was a hit as soon as he bought the team in '11 (he's ranked 29th overall this year), promising to immediately spend to compete for a Stanley Cup. Five years later, and the Sabres won't be hoisting a trophy come June, but the wheels are certainly in motion. Eichel produced right away, and the additions of forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Evander Kane combined for 41 goals last season. Trading a first-rounder for Robin Lehner was considered a reach at the time, but the 6-foot-5 netminder looked promising in 21 starts last year, posting a .924 save percentage. Pegula showed he was serious by opening his wallet again this offseason, bringing in winger Kyle Okposo on a seven-year deal. Fans have to just trust the process for the time being, but at least waiting it out won't empty the bank account. The Sabres registered 18th in affordability with an average game cost of just $71.30, and a Ulysses S. Grant will buy your average game ticket.
What's bad
Apparently the fan appreciation night held during the last home game of the season didn't have the desired effect. The Sabres check in at No. 90 on our list in fan relations, down 36 spots from a year ago. That appreciation night featured giveaways, discounts at the team store, and various promotions, but roughly 75 percent of the fans in attendance were left out of the giveaways. One fan, a season-ticket holder for the past decade, was quoted in The Buffalo News as saying, "Fan loyalty is taken for granted, and they do a poor job of tailoring the game-day experience for their core fans."
What's New
Stadium experience at the KeyBank Center joined fan relations as a disappointment, falling 23 notches to 72nd overall, but the biggest change is on a positive note. The Sabres hopped from 108th to 47th in bang for the buck this year. Buffalo fans saw that same affordability that they've come to love, but the "bang" was significantly better this past season. Despite giving fans just 16 wins at home, 73 percent of their home games were one-goal games, and the team featured four 20-goal scorers for the first time since 2010-11. The quality of hockey improved immensely, but don't worry -- those $4.25 hot dogs and $3 sodas weren't sacrificed in the process.
Next: Carolina Hurricanes | Full rankings