If it's widely agreed that the Pacific is the weakest division in the league heading into next season, its oceanic counterpart on the opposite side of the continent has to be considered the strongest.

You have the two-time reigning, defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, diminished but not badly hurt by cap-related attrition. You have the Toronto team that ran away with the North Division right up until the playoffs started, when they remembered they were the Maple Leafs. You have the Bruins, who posted the sixth-best points percentage in the league after the trade deadline, when they acquired Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly, then re-signed them both this summer. You have the Florida Panthers, who finished fourth in the league this past season and might(?) have gotten better over t