Bastien returned to Pittsburgh in 1976, replacing Wren Blair as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. His first trade for the Penguins took place on September 20, 1977. In that trade he acquired Brian Spencer from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Ron Schock. On several occasions he traded some of the Penguins' stars in order to maintain the team's payroll. In November 1977, Bastien traded All-Star MVP Syl Apps, Jr. to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Dave Schultz. Later in that month he sent superstar Pierre Larouche to the Montreal Canadiens for Pete Mahovlich and Peter Lee. Bastien also faced criticism for trading Pittsburgh's first round draft pick, on three occasions, in 1977, 1978 and 1979.