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Washington Capitals
Overall: 47
Title track: 96
Ownership: 19
Coaching: 21
Players: 43
Fan relations: 19
Affordability: 89
Stadium experience: 54
Bang for the buck: 50
Change from last year: +8
Despite another spirit-crushing playoff defeat by the rival Penguins, Year 2 of the Barry Trotz era went even better than the first. The Capitals' 120 points landed them the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's regular-season champion, and they might have made a real run at the Stanley Cup had they not been drawn, because of the league's convoluted playoff format, against red-hot Pittsburgh in the second round. Still, Washington's continued improvement didn't go unnoticed in our standings.
What's good
Their team lost to the Pens for the eighth time in nine postseason tries, but long-suffering Caps fans remain fully behind Trotz, whose coaching rank remains near the top 20 in sports. Ownership continues to climb (now at 19th, seven places over 2015) thanks to the shrewd stewardship of Ted Leonsis, who's as engaged and approachable as any check-signer in hockey. Combined with the thrilling on-ice product -- captain Alex Ovechkin led the league in goals for the fourth straight year, while Braden Holtby won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie -- Leonsis' attention to detail helped fan relations (No. 19) enjoy a two-spot bump.
What's bad
The closest the Caps got to a Cup in their 40 seasons was a runner-up finish in 1998, when they got swept by the Red Wings in the finals. Perhaps the decades of postseason disappointments have taken a toll. Whatever the reason, fans in the District are surprisingly fatalistic about their future, with a title track that seems absurdly low (96th!) for a team that finally looked like a legitimate contender last year. Meantime, it still isn't cheap to attend games at the Verizon Center -- the Caps rank just 89th in affordability. Among the 23 U.S.-based NHL teams, only five teams have a higher average ticket price ($71).
What's new
At least Caps fans get value for their money. Ovechkin is the most exciting player in the game. Trotz's up-tempo ethos creates offense. (Washington had a plus-59 goal differential last season, 17 more than the next highest-scoring team.) They lost a league-low eight games last season. And Holtby's otherworldly shot-stopping helped Ovi and Co. allow fewer than 200 goals against, one of three NHL teams to accomplish the feat. It's little surprise, then, that bang for the buck shot up 34 spots from a year ago.
Next: New Jersey Devils | Full rankings