Nathan Bastian brings his bruising physicality to South Florida, seeking a roster spot after a gritty stint in Dallas. Can this veteran enforcer bolster the Panthers' bottom-six?
Nathan Bastian may not have scored many goals for the Dallas Stars last season, but it seemed like he always scored a key goal against a tough opponent.
Now, after one season with the Stars, Bastian has once again been added to a team late in the offseason, with the Florida Panthers signing the bruising forward to a professional tryout for training camp.
Bastian was signed close to training camp last summer with the Stars effort to get heavier and tougher to play against, one of head coach Glen Gulutzan's main keys to improving the team from the Pete DeBoer era. Bastian knew his role, that he would not necessarily play every game, but wanted to contribute when he could to a team with a good chance at winning a Stanley Cup.
Unfortunately, a broken hand derailed his chances of playing in the playoffs, when his style was both needed and sorely missed against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild had an intensity that was difficult to match for the Stars, and having a big body that could go toe-to-toe with players like Michael McCarron and the Foligno brothers was something Dallas could have desperately used.
Instead, Bastian finished with six goals and a lone assist, posting a +4 rating and averaging a mere 8 minutes and change of ice time per game.
Now, he joins the Florida Panthers, a team of bruisers who his play style can immediately gel with, on a tryout basis. If he shows anywhere close to his best of what he gave to Dallas last season, it would be a no brainer for the Panthers to add him to their fourth line and get even tougher and more physical to play against.
If Bastian can't make the roster, though, he might be destined for an AHL role for the upcoming season.
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