Milton Gastrin Prospect Profile | 2025 NHL Draft
Throughout the 2024-2025 season, TSLH Prospects will be sharing scouting reports, rankings, and profiles of prospects eligible to the 2025 NHL Draft. Continuing our work of the past five years, our analysts will provide insights on numerous young guns to give you a comprehensive overview of the draft class and their progress. Today, the spotlight is on Milton Gastrin, a Swede prospect.
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Milton Gastrin Prospect Profile for the 2025 NHL Draft
Milton Gastrin is a versatile center playing for MoDo in the J20 Nationell and SHL. Standing at 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 185 pounds, this left-handed forward has yet to register a point in his seven games in Sweden’s top league but has accumulated 39 points in 38 games at the junior level. He also represented his country at the U18 level, where he wore the « C » and produced nearly two points per game.
For MoDo, Gastrin is the go-to forward, as evidenced by his 20:46 average ice time. He plays as the team’s first-line center, logging significant minutes on the top power-play unit. Due to his playing style, coaches also trust him in shorthanded situations, where he is frequently deployed on the first penalty-kill unit. Gastrin is a major asset in the faceoff circle, boasting an impressive 56% win rate on 640 attempts.
Mobility and Physical Play
Milton Gastrin is known for his impressive skating ability. His powerful and fluid stride allows him to cover the ice effectively, whether in offense or defense. His ability to change direction quickly and accelerate makes him difficult for opposing defenders to contain, especially on the rush. While he isn’t the most skilled at executing plays at top speed, he can still operate at a high pace.
He isn’t a particularly physical player. Though he delivers the occasional hit, he lacks consistency in this aspect. That said, it isn’t his primary role, and Swedish junior hockey isn’t an environment that encourages a physical style of play. However, Gastrin is athletic and demonstrates above-average strength. He protects the puck well and battles hard along the boards. His strong frame and low center of gravity provide remarkable balance, making one-on-one confrontations easier for him. Whether this will hold up against professional competition in Sweden and North America remains to be seen.
Offensive Potential
Offensively, Milton Gastrin’s standout quality is his speed, but he doesn’t project as a high-end offensive talent. His shot is accurate but lacks power. Even when tasked with driving the net, he struggles to generate velocity, and his timing is inconsistent. He doesn’t tend to exploit screens or attempt to manipulate defenders; instead, he simply fires pucks on net without much finesse.
With the puck, Gastrin can be predictable. He is competent in transition and zone entries, but once in the offensive zone, he isn’t the ideal player to control possession. His passes are often telegraphed, and he has lost some of the creativity he displayed early in the season. This isn’t necessarily regression, but his offensive effectiveness is less pronounced. He is better suited to playing a north-south game, finding open space, and supporting teammates in all three zones rather than being the offensive catalyst for his line.
Defensive Play
Defensively, Milton Gastrin has a strong understanding of positioning and knows what to do to neutralize opponents. His hockey sense allows him to anticipate plays and disrupt offensive threats. After regaining possession, he makes quick, safe decisions to transition the play up the ice. As mentioned earlier, he excels in faceoffs, making him a valuable asset for team possession.
He is a disciplined player who executes his role efficiently, which is why he is trusted in so many different situations. His reliability makes him a steady presence on the ice. If Gastrin can establish a strong defensive foundation in North America, he may have the opportunity to develop offensively. Otherwise, he is likely destined for a depth role at the professional level.
Ranking Projection of Milton Gastrin for the 2025 NHL Draft
Leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft, Milton Gastrin is seen by some scouts as a late first-round prospect. His versatility plays in his favor, without a doubt. However, his efficiency-driven style without elite offensive tools could impact his draft position. This is why I personally see him more as an early second-round selection. A high floor/low ceiling kind of player.
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