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Arizona Coyotes
Overall: 41
Title track: 76
Ownership: 59
Coaching: 26
Players: 47
Fan relations: 32
Affordability: 5
Stadium experience: 88
Bang for the buck: 57
Change from last year: +3
The Coyotes haven't finished with a winning record since 2013, but they remain among the top 50 franchises in these standings -- pretty good for a team that was under NHL ownership in 2009, almost left the state in 2013 and has gone 59-89 since then.
What's good
How do you sell a subpar team to the fans? Make everything really, really cheap -- well, except the hats. Arizona's ball caps go for $29.99, but Coyotes games are the third-cheapest to attend in the NHL at an average $44.68 per ticket. That value will get NHL fans in the seats. Consider this, too: Arizona Cardinals games cost about $105 a pop on average, and Phoenix Suns games are a bit more than $80. Just make sure you're getting your cap elsewhere. (No, seriously -- only two other teams, across all sports, charge more than the Coyotes.)
What's bad
Other than recent results? Well, the team's relationship with its host, for one: Tensions between Glendale, Arizona, and the Coyotes reached a peak in May 2016, when a letter from team president Anthony LeBlanc to a city official noted "The Arizona Coyotes have every intention of leaving Glendale as soon as possible" after the city voided a 15-year contract with the team that was signed in 2013. Ouch. An 88th-place ranking in stadium experience is by far the Coyotes' worst showing, and no surprise, since Gila River Arena is a lame-duck stadium -- and it hasn't drawn well either. Arizona will hope to get more traffic from an in-state home such as Phoenix or Tempe in the future.
What's new
LeBlanc's stance on the move shows a strong front and a commitment to finding stability for the team, which is about all fans can ask for from a struggling franchise (fans clearly appreciate his effort: Ownership jumped 29 spots this year). The team is in the midst of finding an improved locale and trying to stockpile talent. There's been incremental improvement: After going 24-50 in 2014-15, the Coyotes finished four games under .500 this past season, and the list of transactions Arizona has made in 2016 can make your head spin. It's a sign that the team is seeking answers, both on the ice and in its front office.
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