Justin Bourne

Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round predictions: Multiple Game 7s brewing

Justin Bourne

@jtbourne

Two sentences about every Stanley Cup Playoff team

Sixteen teams are set to embark on a two-month battle for the Stanley Cup, and Justin Bourne has got thoughts on each one of them.

Playoff team tiers: What is the outlook for everyone in the race?

Five notes for the Maple Leafs' next front office

Everybody has a plan for how to fix the Toronto Maple Leafs, but not all of them are good. Justin Bourne writes about five things Toronto's next front office should keep in mind when it comes to taking this organization into its next era.

How the Maple Leafs can return to being much better in just a few easy steps

Never mind how they fared this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs can still be good next season, with a few simple moves. Justin Bourne lays out the plan for success.

Lack of a clear plan has defined Maple Leafs' poor season

Three up, three down: What underlying trends say about potential playoff teams

Now that we have some idea of who might be competing in the playoffs, it's time to look at which teams could make some noise once there. Sportsnet's Justin Bourne examines six teams who are trending up or down.

Bourne: Why NHL should go back to 1-vs.-8, conference-based playoff format

Would we not prefer to say 'the NHL has the best playoffs' over 'the NHL has the best first round of playoffs?' For that to happen, changes to the post-season format are required.

Bourne: Maple Leafs need more competitive fire

How do you measure a good GM versus a bad one?

Every NHL general manager makes mistakes along the way, so it can sometimes be hard to measure a "good" one versus a "bad" one. Justin Bourne looks into five factors to consider when examining how a GM has done.