The New Jersey Devils announced they have signed forward and restricted free agent Nathan Bastian to a two-year contract. The contract is worth $1,650,000 with an average annual value of $825,000.
#NEWS: We have re-signed restricted free-agent Nate Bastian to a two-year contract.
Welcome back, Bastian! https://t.co/4CbzvASWfJ
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) June 15, 2021
Nathan Bastian Stays In New Jersey For Two More Years
The Devils are keeping a piece of their fourth line around in Nathan Bastian. In 41 games with the Devils this season recording 10 points (three goals and seven assists). He led the club in hits with 136. And Bastian ranked second amongst NHL rookies in hits rallying Montreal’s Alexander Romanov, who played 53 games this season. Considering the Devils dealt with a COVID-19 scare, Bastian put up good numbers as he played alongside Miles Wood and Michael McLeod on the fourth line.
The Devils selected Bastian in the second round, 41st overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. This was after the Devils selected McLeod, 12th overall in the first round in that same draft. The two teammates have developed well in the Devils system. Bastian made his debut in January of 2019 and scored his first goal a month later. In his career, Bastian has 13 points (six goals and seven assists).
What This Means Going Forward
The Devils are trying to build a new culture in New Jersey. Bastian was one of 11 rookies in the lineup this season. This is an interesting signing with the Seattle expansion draft coming up. The Devils would be wise to keep Bastian and the rest of that fourth line around for years to come. New Jersey has a similar fourth line to what the New York Islanders have. Bastian and McLeod know each other so well and the addition of Wood made them very tough to play against. For a time during the season, those three were the Devils best line scoring clutch goals and being physical.
In today’s game, you need a fourth line that not only can be physical but can score goals as well. The Devils have that with these three. That is what makes teams so successful. The Devils want to play meaningful games going forward and as you can see with today’s signing they want Bastian a part of it. Their next order of business is to get McLeod signed to keep the fourth line intact going forward.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
