New Jersey Devils must take advantage of a weakened Eastern Conference

For the first time in about a decade, the Eastern Conference might be the weaker of the two NHL conferences. This could open a chance for a team like the New Jersey Devils to take a step forward and compete for a conference championship.

Florida Panthers v New Jersey Devils | Elsa/GettyImagesThe New Jersey Devils have been playing around with contention for years, but they’ve never come close to hitting their expectations. Whether it was injuries, goaltending issues, or a lack of clutch scoring, there’s always an excuse as to why such a talented roster fails to make it even remotely close to where they should.

To be fair, the Devils have lost two playoff series to the Carolina Hurricanes that…