The New Jersey Devils have a stellar top-six forward group, but there’s also a lot to love about the bottom six. Paul Cotter, Curtis Lazar, and Nathan Bastian make up the fourth line, or the “Meat Line,” which has earned buzz throughout the preseason. Bastian, more than the others, needs this line to work out.
Like the team as a whole, Bastian is coming off a bad year. He was injured for some of it, but even before that, he didn’t look good. Heading into this season, there was some doubt about Bastian’s place on the roster. With other players like Kurtis MacDermid, Nolan Foote, and Kevin Labanc trying to crack the roster, Bastian had, and still has, something to prove.
Bastian has been chipping away at proving his worth. He’s been laying hits, bringing energy, and creating chances. But there’s more work to do. Having Cotter and Lazar as regular linemates gives Bastian the space to do that work. He has meshed well with them, and they're building chemistry. As a line, the three have been skating well, taking shots, and getting physical.
Cotter came over to the Devils from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Akira Schmid and Alexander Holtz trade. He's already been impressive in New Jersey, showing versatility with his grittiness, speed, and offensive potential. Cotter’s physicality brings an element to the Devils that they sorely lacked last year. His style of play and mentality inspires his linemates to tap into their potential to bring out their toughness. It was Cotter who came up with the name Meat Line to represent their physicality.
Lazar has plenty of versatility, too. He's been all over the ice making hits, but he’s also getting himself in front of the net and finding high-danger chances. Lazar commented that he, Cotter and Bastian are not just the meat, pointing out their skill and referring to them as the Meat and Mitts Line. He's committed to having his line contribute in more than just one way.
Last season was challenging for Bastian with a lack of consistency in linemates. While he used to have a home on the BMW line, along with Michael McLeod and Miles Wood, things changed with Wood leaving in free agency in the 2023 offseason. A plethora of injuries in 2023-24 caused line shake-ups, and then McLeod exited mid-season. Bastian fell victim to the line blender. It’s certainly the nature of being on the fourth line for someone to move up when there's an injury. However, other factors, like McLeod's exit, added another layer.
Bastian does better with identity. He will benefit from having more consistency with his line this year if the Cotter-Lazar-Bastian line stays together. We’ve said before that the Devils need more out of him this year, and regularly working with Lazar and Cotter could give him the boost he needs.
This is the second year of a two-year contract for Bastian. He is in jeopardy of this being his last season on the team. However, with his low cap hit and the Devils’ upcoming cap crunch, it’s possible he could stay in New Jersey if he has a better year. Bastian’s place on the team this year and beyond relies on the Meat Line continuing to grind.