This story is part of ESPN The Magazine's Oct. 12 Owners Issue. Subscribe today!
Colorado Avalanche
Overall: 77
Title track: 39
Ownership: 92
Coaching: 69
Players: 108
Fan relations: 75
Affordability: 94
Stadium experience: 87
Bang for the buck: 32
Change from last year: -26
For the second year in a row, Colorado managed to fall in all eight franchise rankings categories. Although it's not quite as bad as 2015's 35-spot drop, the Avalanche are down another 26 places, and that's added up to quite a free fall. Only two years ago, Colorado was 16th overall. Ownership will have a tough time stopping this from snowballing.
What's good
Despite finishing second-to-last in the Central Division this past season, the Avalanche were just six points away from a playoff berth. Thanks to that competitive year and the team's past success, the franchise ranks fairly high in title track. The past is quickly becoming more distant, though: Colorado's most recent division championship came in 2013, and the team hasn't earned a conference title since winning the Stanley Cup in the 2000-01 season. At least the Avalanche are a pretty good value, with tickets nearly $15 below the league average and a .500 record despite a late-season collapse.
What's bad
The Avalanche share the Pepsi Center with the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Mammoth, a pro lacrosse team, as well as a slew of events that come to the area each year. Because of that, the arena itself, seating included, isn't particularly geared toward hockey (it's ranked just 87th this year), and renovations to improve that feel aren't likely. As far as ownership goes -- it's ranked 92nd -- perhaps that's out of solidarity with St. Louis residents -- the Avs' owner, Stan Kroenke, relocated the city's NFL franchise to Los Angeles this past offseason. His shrewd demeanor is good for business but doesn't jibe well with fans or, at times, the cities that host his teams.
What's new
Unfortunately for Colorado, what's new is also what's worse -- much worse. The resignation of Patrick Roy in mid-August left the Avalanche scrambling for a coach, and they settled on Jared Bednar, who led the AHL-champion Lake Erie Monsters to the Calder Cup the previous season. The title is nice, but putting a second-tier league coach in charge isn't an awe-inspiring move (fans reacted by dropping the Avs' coaching rank 47 spots). The roster, while talented, remains unproven, and the collapse at the end of the past season is reason for a fair amount of skepticism (the players, too, are down 38 spots, all the way to 108th).
Next: Calgary Flames | Full rankings