Bastian suffered a shoulder injury in New Jersey’s game versus Washington on Nov. 26, 2022.
NEWARK, N.J. -- New Jersey Devils forward Nathan Bastian met with reporters for the first time this season on Sunday, Sept. 24, after he participated in skating drills at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House.
Up to this point, he was on a line with Timur Ibragimov and Shane Bowers, while Michael McLeod skated alongside Tomas Nosek and Curtis Lazar in a separate group.
The 25-year-old returned to New Jersey on Sept. 1, and there was uncertainty surrounding his ability to participate in training camp.
"Honestly, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to come and skate with the guys at camp, so I'm really happy to be out there (on the ice)," said Bastian to reporters.
The Kitchener native suffered a shoulder injury in late November, which kept him out of the lineup until the middle of January. He missed additional time in March but finished the regular season and battled through his injury to make his first postseason appearance.
This led to him dedicating his entire summer to recovery and ensuring his shoulder continued to get better. It was an offseason that strayed from his usual activities of skating and golf.
"My entire summer was completely different," he said. "I didn't really get to start skating at all until a little bit in August. Going from zero to 100 is tough."
So, where does Bastian currently stand in his recovery?
"I feel all right," he said. "I got back to New Jersey on Sept. 1, and even from then compared to now, I feel leaps better. Day to day, maybe you don't notice things, but week to week, you notice a huge difference."
He hopes to get into the lineup in the latter half of preseason and be ready to go when the season opens on Oct. 12 in Newark versus the Detroit Red Wings.
Bastian is coming off a season where he earned 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 43 games. It was the second-best point total of his young career. He scored his first playoff goal against the Carolina Hurricanes on May 3 and tallied two points in 12 postseason games.
On July 1, he signed a two-year contract with a $1.35 million AAV to remain in New Jersey, and that new deal helped with his mindset as he recovered this summer.
"Signing a new deal this summer, I think, helps you mentally know that they're on board with the process," Bastian said. "So you're going to get a little bit of a buffer and maybe a little bit of a leash to do everything you can to get back on track."