prospect Nathan Bastian started playing center in the second half of the season with the Mississauga Steelheads in the OHL, and New Jersey liked what it saw.
The move to playing some center took longer than the Devils expected. Before the Devils drafted Bastian as a right wing with 41st overall pick in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Mississauga coaches told the Devils Bastian was in their center plans for the start of the season.
But once Bastian made the move in the second half, Devils Director of Amateur Scouting Paul Castron saw a natural transition.