Dallas Stars Sign Nathan Bastian for 2025-26 NHL Season with $775K Contract”

The Dallas Stars have signed Nathan Bastian to a one-year, $775,000 contract for the 2025-26 NHL season. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 205 pounds, Bastian will bring size and physicality to the Stars’ forward lineup. The Stars’ general manager, Jim Nill, expressed that Bastian’s signing will add valuable depth to the team’s roster as it gears up for another playoff push.

Bastian’s career began with the New Jersey Devils, from whom he was drafted in the second round in 2016. He started his NHL career as a dependable depth forward, known for his physical style of play, which will now serve the Stars in their forward corps, including in penalty-killing experiences. Bastian has changed franchises only once before, when he was claimed by the Seattle Kraken during the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, but was reacquired by the Devils months later via waivers.

Despite his successful junior career with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Bastian has been primarily used in a checking role in the NHL. In the previous season, he was hampered by injuries, including a problem with his jaw that allowed him to play only 59 games. He recorded four goals and six assists totalling 10 points, his lowest total since the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Bastian, who has participated in 276 regular-season NHL games scoring 33 goals and 35 assists, is expected to bring energy, forechecking pressure, and toughness to the Stars’ lineup. While he may not be a top-line scorer, his experience, size, and defensive reliability make him a good fit for the team’s bottom six as it strives to remain competitive in the Western Conference. His one-year contract gives flexibility for both sides, offering Bastian an opportunity to prove his worth and providing the Stars with a low-risk depth enhancement.