The New Jersey Devils have several players who can become free agents this off-season. Forward Nathan Bastian is one of them, as the 27-year-old forward is a pending unrestricted free agent.
While Bastian has the potential to hit the market this summer, he made it clear that this is not his preference. While speaking to reporters, the 6-foot-4 forward said that his hope is to remain with the Devils.
"Everything. It's crazy how quick a place can feel like home," Bastian said. "Since the time of being drafted, I think I'm the longest Devil still standing. Being here means a lot to me, obviously. Where we live, the city, the rink, all the staff, and you guys. It's something I want to be a part of."
Hearing that Bastian is hopeful to stay put with the Devils is understandable. The 2016 second-round pick has played 264 out of his 276 career games with the Devils and has been a nice part of their bottom six.
However, the Devils will now need to decide if Bastian is a player they want to keep around. They are entering this off-season with limited cap space, and have other notable pending unrestricted free agents like Jake Allen and Brian Dumoulin to make decisions with. In addition, defenseman Luke Hughes' entry-level deal has expired, and the pending restricted free agent is due for a significant raise from his current $925,000 cap hit. Thus, re-signing Bastian could be tricky.
Bastian appeared in 59 games this season with the Devils, where he had four goals, 10 points, 138 hits, and a minus-4 rating. It will be interesting to see if the Devils end up re-signing him from here.
Recent Devils News
Devils Key Defender Expected To Miss Beginning Of Next Season
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils </a>defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic was one of multiple players who suffered injuries during the club's first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Now, an update on Kovacevic has been provided, and it is undoubtedly unfortunate news.
Devils Defender Played Through Injury During Playoffs
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a> dealt with serious injury trouble during the post-season. They notably lost key defensemen Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic to injury during their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Superstar forward Jack Hughes was also sidelined throughout the playoffs after suffering a season-ending injury in early March.
Devils Have Big Decision To Make With Jake Allen
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a>' season is over, and now they have an important off-season ahead. After losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, the <a href="https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqLQgKIidDQklTRndnTWFoTUtFWFJvWldodlkydGxlVzVsZDNNdVkyOXRLQUFQAQ/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwpeDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA:en">Devils</a> should be in for a busy summer.
Devils Should Make Big Move With Defenseman
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a>' season has officially come to an end. The <a href="https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwpeDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen">Devils</a> lost their Game 5 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes in double overtime by a 5-4 final score, and now a big off-season awaits for New Jersey.