Washington Capitals 2025 second-round pick Milton Gästrin is off to a strong start to the season. Gästrin scored in the season opener last Friday as he embarks on his first professional campaign in Sweden’s second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan. Caps fans have every reason to be excited.

Gästrin followed up his season opener with another strong performance in his second game. His trademark two-way game was on full display Wednesday night as MoDo faced Nybro. On his very first shift, Gästrin showed his quality by winning the puck deep in his own zone and carrying it forward to create a scoring chance. It’s hard to believe that Gästrin turned 18 less than four months ago.

Gästrin is a well-rounded two-way center with solid playmaking ability. He has the offensive skill to drive play down the middle and create chances for his teammates. In his own end he sets the tone with mature two-way play and a strong sense of responsibility. His motor is impressive, and it’s easy to project him as a reliable third-line center in the NHL for years to come.

After last Friday’s season opener, Gästrin received ovations from the same crowd he grew up being part of. The home fans urged him to lead a chant, and the 18-year-old Swede was ecstatic.

“It was fun. It went, ‘When I was little my dad brought me along, taught me everything! About the sport and love for the club.’ That really symbolizes how I felt in that moment. You remember when you were a kid, standing here jumping together with everyone in the stands. After many hours of training, you finally get to be here, put on the jersey and do the job. It’s incredible,” said Gästrin after the game.

Gästrin is coming off an impressive spring in which he captained Sweden at the U18 Worlds. He finished the tournament with three goals and ten points in seven games; not bad for a player whose biggest strength is his two-way game. That performance led the Capitals to select him 37th overall in the second round of the draft. His NHL contract is already signed, and Gästrin described being drafted as an incredible experience.

“It was quite surreal [to get drafted], and it felt really good to sign with them. It’s a place I really want to play in a few years. They are so caring, and you can tell it’s a professional organization all the way through, just like here,” says Milton Gästrin to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

Sweden’s second-tier league will be an excellent development environment for Gästrin this season. He gets the challenge of playing against men while still being expected to log significant minutes, even on a team with every ambition of winning promotion to the SHL. Gästrin is a joy to watch and a player to keep an eye on throughout the year.

SHL: Ivar Stenberg Impresses, Wins Prospect Showdown Two highly ranked prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft went head-to-head on Tuesday night. On one side was standout forward Ivar Stenberg. On the other stood Viggo Björck, who finished last season by breaking the all-time scoring record in Sweden’s junior league. Also in Djurgården’s lineup were 2025 third-overall pick Anton Frondell and another former first-rounder, Victor Eklund.