"Going into that situation was interesting," Bastian said. "I feel like I have a pretty decent head on my shoulders and understand where I fit. When I was looking at the numbers and the names (on Seattle's roster), I didn't like it so much. Being on the outside looking in right away, being pulled from a spot where I was wanted and valued (in New Jersey). Right off the hop I was trying to be as optimistic as possible, but things didn't go to plan."
With injuries to the club, Bastian found himself in the lineup for the franchise's first 12 games of the season, notching just one goal and two points. But as injured players returned to the lineup, Bastian found himself being a healthy scratch for two straight weeks in November.
"There were guys hurt to start the year. You can see line combinations and the way they're using guys through camp. I was probably on the outside looking in," Bastian said. "If there weren't guys hurt, I may never have played a game. I think I was lucky to get in there when I did."
Bastian's luck was about to change dramatically. In a move that Bastian said wasn't "shocking at all," Seattle placed the 6-foot-4, 205-pound winger on waivers. And that's where the Devils would swoop in to reclaim him and bring him home late in November.
Since then, Bastian has posted 10 goals with the Devils, three on the man-advantage, and has added the role of power-play net-front presence to his resume.
"He's done a great job of being fearless in front of the net, which isn't an easy position to play for a lot of players," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "A lot of players will jump out of the way and the goalie will see it. I think there are a number of goals where he's really helped our team by being right on top of the goaltender.
"He's got good hands. He's a right-handed shot with all our lefties. If we're using the down low play (he) would be effective. Another area that you can't overlook is his puck retrievals. He's been real heavy on puck retrievals and that's helped us, too."
Power play aside, Bastian has been a lot more effective in his normal role as a fourth-line energy player that plays with physicality and snarl.
"His physicality, his hardness on the puck has been better," Ruff said of Bastian's improved play. "I think his skating has improved. Do I think it needs to continue to improve? I do, but I think it's improved from where it was last year."
For Bastian, this season has been almost as much a mental challenge as physical.
"I've definitely grown. Confidence is a big part of it," Bastian said. "I play with the puck, maybe holding onto the puck a little bit longer. I've rooted in the values to my game that are most important. I keep working at the little things, trying to become the most complete player I am."
All it took was a little adversity and a stop in Seattle.
Although he wasn't there very long - when asked where he lived, Bastian replied, "I wasn't even there long enough to explain to you where I lived," adding only "There's water everywhere, all around it; just a little bit north," - it was a valuable period of his life and career.
"Don't take your time anywhere for granted. Any time you get a chance to throw the jersey on it's so valuable," he said. "The grass isn't always greener. So many lessons learned. I think it was the best worst thing that ever happened to me being there, and finding out the hard way that you can lose your job pretty quickly."
