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Pittsburgh Penguins
Overall: 11
Title track: 4
Ownership: 8
Coaching: 17
Players: 13
Fan relations: 5
Affordability: 56
Stadium experience: 12
Bang for the buck: 39
Change from last year: +20
The Penguins looked like also-rans last December. For a high-profile club that boasts hockey's top player in Sidney Crosby, another wasted year wasn't an option -- Pittsburgh had been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round the previous two. So coach Mike Johnston was fired and replaced by ex-Bruins boss Mike Sullivan, who promptly led the Pens to their second Stanley Cup of the Crosby era and first since 2009. Another result of those moves and the title? They also climbed 20 spots in our standings.
What's good
Pristine six-year-old PPG Paints Arena for starters, which provides the third-best stadium experience in the NHL (after Nashville and Chicago, 12th overall). Crosby alone is worth the price of admission which, while not cheap, compares favorably to rivals who don't ice a future Hall of Famer. Speaking of those, 1997 Hall inductee Mario Lemieux knows how to treat his customers: Ownership gets sky-high marks (No. 8 overall), and the Penguins have better fan relations (fifth overall) than the NFL's famously friendly Green Bay Packers. The fans like their chances of repeating, too, and for good reason. Pittsburgh is the clear favorite to take the weak Eastern Conference again, and only the similarly stacked Blackhawks -- Cup champs in 2010, '13 and '15 -- are on a better Title Track (no. 4).
What's bad
It's hard to knock an organization that ranks in the Top 20 across six separate categories. But since we have to, affordability and bang for the buck have some room to improve. Though the Pens' average ticket is more than $10 over the league average, seven NHL teams charge more (including six that haven't hoisted the Cup in more than two decades). And once fans get into the building, they enjoy the least expensive beers ($5.25 for a 12-ounce brew) and sodas ($3 for the same size) in the league.
What's new
Johnston left with a winning record (58-37-15), but a dismal five-game elimination to the Rangers in 2015, combined with Sullivan's instant success, improved the Penguins' coaching rank by an insane 80 spots (to 17th). A roster that already included prolific scorers Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel was bolstered by the in-season addition of role players Trevor Daley, Carl Hagelin and Justin Schultz, helping boost players 41 places. The group returns mostly intact this season, the Pens' 50th, with journeyman defenseman Ben Lovejoy the lone significant loss.
Next: Anaheim Ducks | Full rankings