The 2024-25 season ended for the New Jersey Devils after their first-round exit in the playoffs at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils made a decent playoff push, but ultimately, all the injuries did them in. In the regular season, the Devils had a record of 42-33-7. Each player on the team contributed in different ways, with some having better performances than others. Let’s look at Nathan Bastian’s 2024-25 season performance.
Bastian’s 2024-25 Season with the Devils
During the 2024-25 season, Bastian played 59 games with the Devils and recorded a total of ten points via four goals and six assists. He earned a minus-4 and recorded 31 penalty minutes. He scored one power-play goal and one shorthanded goal among his four total goals. He spent an average of 10:56 on the ice, about 46 seconds more than the 2023-24 season. He recorded the lowest total shots (44) since he began playing full-time in the NHL.
Bastian started the season off with a strong start, recording two assists in their first game on Oct. 4 against the Buffalo Sabres. He recorded the primary assist on Nico Hischier’s second-period goal and the only assist on Paul Cotter’s empty net goal in the final minutes. His first goal was scored on Oct. 17, and two games later, he scored his second of the season. To close out the month, he recorded an assist on Oct. 30.
November was not such a lucky month for Bastian. On Nov. 1, he broke his jaw after getting into a fight with Ryan Lomberg on the Calgary Flames. He played a total of 3:29 and then went down the tunnel to assess his injury. He was put on long-term injured reserve and was finally activated on Dec. 10. Bastian did not record another point until Jan. 14, when he recorded an assist. He had great momentum at the start of the season, but the jaw injury did him in. Half of his point total for the season was recorded just in October.
Bastian also played five playoff games and earned a plus-1. He recorded six shots and an average total ice time of 11:36.
Bastian’s Past Seasons with the Devils
Bastian has spent the majority of his NHL career with the Devils. In his first two seasons in the league, 2018-19 and 2020-21, he played 48 games and recorded 13 points.
Related: Devils’ 2025-26 Player Previews: Timo Meier
Before the 2021-22 season, the Seattle Kraken joined the league, and the NHL had to host an expansion draft in order for Seattle to have a fair chance. During their expansion draft, they selected Bastian from the Devils. He played 12 games for the Kraken and scored one goal and earned one assist. After a less than stellar start with the new team, he was placed on waivers, where the Devils claimed him once again. For the remainder of the season, he played 60 games and recorded 16 points.
In the two seasons that followed, Bastian played 97 games and recorded 27 points. In 2022-23, he earned his best and only positive plus/minus, a plus-7.
Bastian’s Future in the NHL
At the end of the season, Bastian became an unrestricted free agent. He spent July on the market, but on Aug. 9, the Dallas Stars signed him to a one-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $775,000.
After some moves for the Stars, Dallas was lacking a bottom-six forward. Bastian will likely slot into one of these bottom-six spots for the Stars. From his strong performance to start the 2024-25 season, he was showing lots of growth. Perhaps Dallas will foster the best environment for him to continue to strengthen his skills as a player.
Bastian’s Overall Grade
Overall, for the 2024-25 season, Bastian receives a C-. He had a strong start to the season, but after he broke his jaw, his performance took a tumble. However, he had an average of 2.34 hits per game. He continued to have a better defensive performance than offensive, which, for Bastian in the remainder of this season, was what he needed. Since Bastian had been playing in the Devils’ bottom six, and especially after his injury, he couldn’t produce the points the team needed.
Wishing Bastian the best of luck in Dallas for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
