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Nashville Predators
Overall: 6
Title track: 49
Ownership: 18
Coaching: T21
Players: 12
Fan relations: 1
Affordability: 1
Stadium experience: 1
Bang for the buck: 52
Change from last year: +21
After ending two straight seasons with April golf, the Nashville Predators hired Peter Laviolette in May 2014 and secured back-to-back playoff spots in a tough Central Division. Even still, the on-ice success seems like just a bonus in Smashville. The Preds claimed the top spot overall in fan relations, affordability, and stadium experience to go along with their 96-point 2015-16 season.
What's good
The Bridgestone Arena topped the charts in stadium experience, and it seems like it will only continue to improve. In August, the Predators announced concepts to improve the arena, including adding an on-site hotel, a second rink, interactive components for fans, additional concessions, and renovated suites. The Predators rolled out multiple promotions last season, including Nissan Tuesdays (two tickets and an ice scraper for either $60 or $120) and Subway Student Rush Night on Thursdays (a ticket for as cheap as $19, along with a sandwich voucher for students). Average ticket prices were already just $62, putting it right at the league average, helping make the Preds the number one team in affordability in our fan rankings. And if you didn't enjoy enough of their $6.75 beers, you can walk out the front door after the game onto Lower Broadway.
What's bad
Despite ranking first in affordability, Nashville claims only the 52nd spot in bang for the buck. The average cost per game is $80, but the Predators have just one 100-point season in the past four and have never made it out of the second round of the playoffs. They had four 20-goal scorers last season and potentially the league's best blue line, but weak goaltending led them to a fourth-place finish in their division. Still, the Preds were one win from the Western Conference finals last season, and the team has improved in Year 3 under Laviolette. Expect a lot more bang in 2016-17.
What's new
Title track jumped 25 spots this season to break into the top 50. A big reason why wears number 76. Nashville dealt an aging Shea Weber to Montreal this offseason for P.K. Subban, who will join Roman Josi as staples on the point. Subban is just 27 years old and has not had fewer than 50 points since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. Young dynamic forwards Filip Forsberg, and Ryan Johansen mesh well with veterans James Neal and Mike Fisher, helping the players ranking hop 10 spots to 12th overall. The X factor will be which Pekka Rinne shows up in goal -- the Vezina Trophy runner-up in 2014-15 or the player who finished with just a .908 save percentage last season. For this team to have any hope of raising a banner in the arena that everyone loves so dearly, Rinne will need to elevate his play.
Next: Florida Panthers | Full rankings