The Washington Capitals re-assigned forward prospect Milton Gästrin to the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Saturday.
Gästrin, drafted by the Capitals in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft, recently wrapped up his season with MoDo Hockey in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan. The 18-year-old center recorded 24 points (10g, 14a) in 39 regular-season games and four points (1g, 3a) in 13 playoff games.
The Capitals signed Gästrin to a three-year, entry-level contract during his first development camp in DC last summer. The Ornskoldsvik, Sweden native played the majority of his draft year in the nation’s J20 junior league, recording 42 points (18g, 24a) in 40 games.
Although he was an unused healthy scratch in the final game, Gästrin did win a gold medal at the 2026 World Junior Championship with Sweden. He finished the tournament with zero points, playing just 9:35 of ice time per game. Gästrin will be eligible to return for a much larger role at next year’s tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer.
Gästrin is likely the first of a few Capitals prospects who will join the Bears at the end of their regular season and into the playoffs. Hershey clinched a postseason spot with a 5-1 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night.
The Bears are very banged up at the moment, with seven players missing their last game due to injuries. Gästrin could make his AHL debut without looking out of place, as he has played pro hockey for parts of two seasons in Sweden.
Hershey has two games remaining in their regular season, hosting the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday night and the Rochester Americans on Sunday afternoon.
Here’s the full press release from the Capitals:
Capitals Re-Assign Milton Gästrin to Hershey
2025 second-round pick recorded 24 points (10g, 14a) in 39 games with MoDo (Sweden-2)
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have re-assigned forward Milton Gästrin to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.
Gästrin, 18, recorded 24 points (10g, 14a) in 39 regular-season games with MoDo of HockeyAllsvenskan (Sweden-2). The 6’1”, 194-pound forward ranked sixth on MoDo in points and tied for sixth in assists and goals. Gästrin led all under-18 skaters in HockeyAllsvenskan in goals and ranked second in assists and points. Gästrin also appeared in 13 playoff games with MoDo, registering four points (1g, 3a).
Gästrin spent the 2024-25 season with MoDo’s junior team (Sweden-Jr.), recording 42 points (18g, 24a) in 40 games played. Gästrin, who served as an alternate captain, led the team in goals and ranked second in assists and points. The Örnsköldsvik, Sweden native also made his professional debut and appeared in eight regular-season games with MoDo of the Swedish Hockey League (Sweden-1).
Internationally, Gästrin won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition, Gästrin served as Sweden’s captain at the 2025 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. At the 2025 Under-18 World Championship, Gästrin earned a silver medal after tallying 10 points (3g, 7a) in seven games.
The Capitals selected Gästrin in the second round (37th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract on July 3, 2025. Gästrin was ranked third among all international skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
