Bastian's Back | THREE THINGS

Bastian is back! Forward Nathan Bastian signed a two-year contract on Saturday to remain in New Jersey. Let's take a look at his career in this latest edition of Three Things presented by GEICO.

1. Jersey Boy

Like many players on the Devils, Bastian was drafted by New Jersey. Back in 2016 the Devils selected him with their 41st overall pick. At the time, Bastian was a member of the Mississauga Steelheads in the Ontario Hockey League where he spent one more season following the draft. In his final junior hockey year, Bastian helped the Steelheads return to the playoffs in their pursuit of an OHL Championship. Mississauga fell to the Erie Otters in the Championship but Bastian had quite the impact. He contributed seven goals and seven assists for 14 points over 20 playoff games.

Bastian's professional career started in the 2017-18 season where he played 68 games for the Binghamton Devils (American Hockey League) contributing 18 points (10 G, 8 A). The following season Bastian made his NHL debut, a home game against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 19. In his second NHL game on Feb. 25 he scored his first NHL goal against the Montreal Canadiens. The forward had three goals over the seven games he played for the Devils during the 2018-19 season.

During the 2019-20 season, Bastian played 62 games for Binghamton before spending the entire 2020-21 season back in the NHL with the Devils. During the shortened COVID season, Bastian played 41 games and had three goals and seven assists for 10 points. Following his first full season with the Devils, Bastian signed a two-year contract with New Jersey on Jun. 15, 2021. The plan was for Bastian to stay with the Devils for at least two more years but a month later things changed for the forward.

2. Guess Who's Back

In July 2021, the Seattle Kraken picked Bastian in the expansion draft, making the recently signed Devil a member of the newest NHL franchise. New Jersey lost a player that was a solid fit in the lineup with great penalty killing skills and strong, physical play. However, the Kraken put Bastian on waivers four months later and New Jersey claimed him, bringing back the forward during the 2021-22 season. For Bastian it felt like no time had passed when he was reunited with his Devils teammates.

"It feels really good," Bastian shared in his first media availability back with the Devils in Nov. 2021. "Weirdly enough it kind of feels like I never left already. Going through the waiver process, the Devils were in the back of my head. Everything happens for a reason. I'm so excited to be back here."

"He was a fit for us," Devils head coach Lindy Ruff shared about Bastian's return. "He played well in the role that he played. He helped us with the physicality, penalty killing was one of his strengths and he's a great team guy … he's a piece we felt we should bring back in."

Bastian returned to the Devils lineup on Nov. 26, 2021 against the Nashville Predators. He was reunited with Michael McLeod and Miles Wood on the fourth line and had an immediate impact. Devils head coach Lindy Ruff credited Bastian's line for their positive play in a game where New Jersey struggled.

"That line gave us energy," Ruff said following Bastian's return on the fourth line. "They did the right thing, they were heavy on the puck, they got in first."

Bastian played 60 games with the Devils during the 2021-22 season where he had a new career-high 11 goals and added five assists for 16 points, another career-high. The forward fit right back into the Devils as seen by his successful play and improved numbers.

3. Last Season

The 2022-23 was a challenging but promising year for Bastian. Through 43 games he added six goals and nine assists for fifteen total points, as Bastian continued to be a physical presence in the bottom-six and a solid penalty killer for New Jersey. However, in late November he suffered an upper-body injury and was sidelined for eight weeks. Bastian returned to action against his former team in Seattle on Jan. 19, but missed time again late in the regular season. In his sixth professional season, Bastian got his first taste of NHL playoffs as the Devils made their return to the post-season for the first time since 2018. Through 12 games, Bastian had a goal and an assist and 16 penalty minutes.

Although he spent time injured last season and wasn't able to play as much as he liked, Bastian was confident about how his year ended and his impact in the post-season.

"For me being able to do everything I could and then playing every playoff game and gain so much valuable experience, I think honestly I ended the year on such a good note," Bastian shared in his media exit interview. "I think the playoffs suit a guy like me. I think that's kind of how I play in the regular season is kind of tailored towards playing well in the playoffs. Getting through the first couple of games I think you could see a lot of us our confidence grew a lot, and me especially. Getting that experience under my belt it's something I look forward to getting the chance to play in it again."