Milton Gästrin's Hockey Journey Comes Full Circle As He Joins His Favorite Team In Capitals: 'I Can't Put It Into Words'
The Capitals took Gästrin with the 27th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
When Milton Gästrin was growing up and getting into hockey, he wanted one thing from his family: a jersey from his favorite team, the Washington Capitals. He got his wish, and his first sweater was an Alex Ovechkin jersey.
On Saturday, years later, he got to pull on another Capitals jersey, and this time, it was his own, as he went 37th overall to the team he’d followed so closely back home.
“It’s actually amazing, I can’t (put it into words),” Gästrin said. “It’s so cool that growing up and having the Capitals as your favorite team and you wanted a jersey from them when you were a kid, and now be able to play for them in the next couple of years, it’s so amazing.”
Gästrin was projected to go late in the first round but ultimately fell to 37th, where Washington didn’t hesitate. The 18-year-old Swede is a strong two-way forward who can play center or wing, plays well in all three zone and has a high hockey IQ and great playmaking ability. He also works wonders at the net front.
"I'm a 200-foot player who loves to compete and can work really hard and got good skating and good vision and good passing ability as well. That's a simple way of describing it,” Gästrin said.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound pivot models his game after Gabriel Landeskog and also looks up to countryman and Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom, one of the best Swedes to play the game.
Beyond his play, he’s been able to impress with his work ethic and leadership ability over the years with Modo Hockey in Sweden, where he had 42 points in 40 games with the Swedish Jr. League team this past year.
"I always trying to be a hard-working player and give everything for the team,” Gästrin said. “That's something that’s been with me and been my DNA in hockey."
He will spend next year in Sweden playing in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest tier of pro hockey in his home country, but said that he’s looking forward to the opportunities he’ll get with Washington.
Ultimately, as he begins the next chapter with the Capitals, he’s looking forward to meeting his longtime idol in Ovechkin and taking in everything he can as his journey comes full circle.
“Growing up with him as a role model and as a person you look up to and now you're going to get the chance to talk to him and meet him. It's just so cool.
“It's so unbelievable. It's so exciting,” Gästrin added.