Panthers Sign Nathan Bastian To Two-Way Deal

The Panthers announced that they have signed right-winger Nathan Bastian to a two-way deal for the upcoming season. Bastian will earn the league-minimum $850K salary if on the NHL roster and a $525K minor-league salary with a $575K guarantee, per PuckPedia. Bastian was one of the dozens of players placed on waivers today, so he likely won’t be on Florida’s opening-night roster submission tomorrow and will be assigned to AHL Charlotte if he clears.

It’s an unusually high AHL salary, but it’s sensible given the bevy of recent NHL experience Bastian has under his belt. In fact, this is the first time Bastian has hit waivers in nearly five years, and last time he got claimed – heading back to the Devils in November 2021 from the Kraken after Seattle selected him from New Jersey in the expansion draft several months prior. Nonetheless, he struggled to land a contract this summer and was in Florida’s training camp on a professional tryout deal.

Bastian spent last season on a one-year deal with the Stars, where his 36 games played was his lowest mark since emerging as an NHL option with the Devils at the beginning of the decade. He did miss the last month of the season with a hand injury, but he was a frequent staple in the press box before that. When dressed, he averaged a career-low 8:39 of ice time per game, contributing six goals and an assist as he settled into a 13th/14th forward role.

Florida is Bastian’s fourth NHL organization. The 6’4″, 217-lb checker was a second-round pick by New Jersey back in 2016 and spent the vast majority of his career to date there, save for last year in Dallas and his 12-game run in Seattle. Most of his value has come from his physical game, leading the Devils with 194 hits in the 2021-22 campaign, but he doesn’t bring much value beyond his near-wall checking. Even his open-ice defense leaves something to be desired at times; his skating isn’t above NHL average, although his offensive production is certainly tenable for a fourth-liner – averaging 10 goals and 20 points per 82 games over his career.

Bastian’s 312 NHL games have him well-positioned to earn a call-up if the Panthers need a body from Charlotte. There was a bit of an opening with Jonah Gadjovich and Brad Marchand starting the season on injured reserve, but it appears Gadjovich’s enforcer role will go to Bokondji Imama out of the gate after Florida elected not to place him on waivers today.