Gastrin 1

The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 27-28 at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The first round will be held June 27 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with rounds 2-7 on June 28 (Noon ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at forward Milton Gastrin with MoDo of the Swedish Hockey League. Full draft coverage can be found here.

Milton Gastrin of MoDo in the Swedish Hockey League has his sights set on becoming the next great NHL player from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.

"It's a pretty small city ... only 40-50,000 people who live there," Gastrin said. "Unlike Stockholm where there's one or two million. I don't know the reason, maybe it's something in the air or the water, but there's some big names coming from that town."

Big names, indeed. The list, to name a few, includes Victor Hedman, Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin.

"I haven't chatted with any of them so much but in the summer, the NHL players often come and skate on weekends with MoDo," Gastrin said. "For example, I practiced with Victor Olofsson last summer. I think the city loves hockey and the players enjoy staying there or coming back."

Gastrin is on the right development path to becoming a future star as well. The 18-year-old center (6-foot-1, 194 pounds) had 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 40 games with MoDo's team in Sweden's junior league before playing in eight games in the SHL, Sweden's top professional men's league.

"He can play center or wing," MoDo general manager Henrik Gradin said. "He's going to have the opportunity to play center in 2025-26 but he was a wing this season in those [eight] opportunities he got. I think at the next level he can play both, but right now we're giving him a chance to play center."

That’s the position Gastrin enjoys playing most, too.

"I've played a lot of both over the years," he said. "With a men's team, I played a lot of wing. With the junior teams, I played a lot of center and I prefer to play center. I think when I'm playing my best hockey, I play as a center."

Gastrin had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in seven games for silver medal-winning Sweden at the 2025 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, finishing sixth among all skaters in the tournament in assists.

"I'm proud of how I played at the Under-18's but, unfortunately, we didn't win so it wasn't good enough," Gastrin said. "When you have a season preparing for that final destination and you don't end up with a gold medal, it isn't good enough. So that was really tough."

Said Gradin: "He missed a couple of tournaments this year because of some injuries (broken thumb, concussion), but to come back and do what he did in the U-18 Worlds shows what his character is all about and how determined he is to reach the next level."

Gastrin said he's a big fan of Colorado Avalanche captain and Sweden-born Gabriel Landeskog.

"Just how he plays the game ... he's good offensively and he works hard defensively," he said. "I love the energy and intensity with which he plays. I think that's the player I've been looking up too."

Gradin compares Gastrin's style to Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson or Calgary Flames forward Mikael Backlund.

While there's nothing flashy about Gastrin's game, he is very economical with the way he plays and is consistent in his approach.

"His two-way game is very productive, and you have to see him more because, if you watch one game, he's not so flashy so you don't see him so clearly. But I like his hockey sense and passing ability," NHL director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said.

Gastrin is No. 3 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters eligible for the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

Gastrin 3

"He makes good decisions and comes out a winner in most battles," Vuorinen said. "He's a much better player in my mind than many think."

One of Gastrin's most memorable games was an eight-point game (two goals, six assists) in Sweden's 12-1 win against Switzerland during a preliminary round game at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in five games as Sweden's captain to help the team to a bronze medal.

"I think sometimes you have those games back home as well, but I've never felt like I was having a game like that where everything is working out," he said.

Gastrin has served in a leadership role in several international events, a position he takes very seriously.

"It's hard to hold yourself up, but I think the guys on the team have said that I have empathy and at the same time am serious in my approach and how I do things," Gastrin said. "I try my best to lead by example. Of course, it's a big honor to wear the 'C' and be the team captain, but I owe a lot to my mom and dad who are both leaders in their work.

"It's just a matter of getting everybody on the same path. If you want to win something, you got to have everybody feeling as if they're family."

Gradin said Gastrin is very coachable and eager to learn, but there are areas to improve.

"Like many young players, he has to learn a little bit more without the puck," Gradin said. "I think young players today are chasing the pucks a little bit too much. It's all about the timing to be in the right place when you don't have it. Milton is really good with the puck and just needs to make the right reads ... that's the next step to take."

Related Content