How Much Would You Pay for the Capitals?

Washington franchise ranked No. 26 in NHL

Say you wanted to buy the Washington Capitals. How much would the franchise cost you?

According to Forbes.com, the Capitals franchise is valued at $160 million, which ranks it No. 26 among the NHL's 30 teams.

Team owner Ted Leonsis bought the franchise in 1999 for $85 million.  And it appears strong on-ice play last year and the long-term contract signed by superstar Alex Ovechkin bumped up the franchise's value in the past year.  Forbes.com said the team's value rose 10 percent from the previous year.

Which franchises top the Forbes.com value list?

That honor goes to the Toronto Maple Leafs, which holds a value of $448 million.  The New York Rangers are No. 2 at $411 million, followed by the Montreal Canadiens ($334M), Detroit Red Wings ($303M) and Philadelphia Flyers ($275M).
 
The league's bottom feeders are the Capitals, the Atlanta Thrashers ($158M), the Columbus Blue Jackets ($157M), the New York Islanders ($154M) and the Phoenix Coyotes ($142M).

Overall, Forbes.com said team revenues increased 13 percent last year because of higher ticket prices and a stronger Canadian dollar.

Check out the entire franchise value list here:

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/31/nhl08_NHL-Team-Valuations_Rank.html

See what Forbes.com had to say about the Caps' franchise here:

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/31/nhl08_Washington-Capitals_312495.html
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