stljrs wrote: ↑24 Jun 2026 19:47 pm For what it’s worth, below is one write up by Pronman last year. Several mocks had him in the late first round. Definitely not a throw in. And on the younger side in his draft year. Plenty of time to develop
June 2, 2007 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 37 in 2025
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Gastrin is a good-sized center who skates well and competes hard. The captain of Sweden’s age group, he’s a responsible two-way player who creates offense at the net front very well. He has skill, and while I would not describe him as a dynamic offensive type by any means, he makes enough plays to go with his responsible two-way play to make me think he could be a middle-six NHL center.
Here are some more thumbnails from his pre-draft...
Milton Gastrin's Player Profile
Corey Pronman - The Athletic - June 10th: "The captain of Sweden’s age group, he's a responsible two-way player who creates offense at the net front very well. He has skill, and while I would not describe him as a dynamic offensive type by any means, he makes enough plays to go with his responsible two-way play to make me think he could be a middle-six NHL center."
Adam Kimelman - NHL.com - June 9th: "He really stood out among his age group, serving as captain for Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the World U-18s. At the latter tournament, he had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in seven games to help Sweden win the silver medal. His vision and high-end hockey IQ make him a dependable player in all three zones."
Mike Morreale - NHL.com - June 9th: "Gastrin is considered a playmaker with good speed, compete and intelligence. The 18-year-old, who can play center or left wing, is a strong skater who plays a simple and effective game with high hockey IQ and compete."
Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - June 2nd: "He’s got size, he’s a natural center, he’s a strong enough skater and he plays well off his linemates, offering a responsible and heady game. His habits and details are there at an early age. He’s not a dynamic offensive player but he handles it well, makes plays around the net and seems to really understand timing and spacing."
Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - May 27th: "Gastrin will not be a point producer in the NHL, but he will do so many other things that excite you. He’s defensively responsible, wins a ton of face-offs and can play the wing when you need him to."
Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - May 12th: "Gastrin has the speed and skill to be an effective scoring forward, but he takes his foot off the gas more often than you’d like to see at this stage in his development. Gastrin is a bit of a hit-or-miss player who could very well wind up being a solid secondary scorer."
Jason Bukala - Sportsnet - March 26th: "He’s the captain in Seattle, rolls over the boards in all situations, produces offence at even strength and on the power play and provides energetic penalty-killing. He plays much bigger than his listed size."
Smaht Scouting - March 23rd: "There could be some risk there, with his profile maybe not translating very well to the bottom 6 of many NHL teams, but with his tenacious style and the attention to detail he demonstrates with and without the puck, it’s becoming harder and harder to doubt him. These habits could really help in his transition to the NHL."