Before taking the ice for Washington Capitals Development Camp, Milton Gästrin had been off the ice for the last two months following the end of his season with MoDo Hockey. And on Day 1 of camp, he did enough skating to make up for that — and then some.
Skating coach Wendy Marco put Gästrin and his fellow prsopects to the test, putting them through a number of high-intensity skating drills. It's become tradition of the team's week-long taste of the NHL that it provides for its top prospects, and for Gästrin, that experience was everything.
"Glad that I survived," Gästrin joked, before adding, "This is a great experience and I'm so happy to be here. I can take so much with me back home and work on stuff like (skating we did on Tuesday)."
Gästrin was taken with the No. 37 overall pick after surprisingly falling out of the first round. At the time, being drafted to his childhood favorite team in the Capitals was "unreal," but now, he's just looking forward to proving that D.C. made the right choice.
"You're trying to get everything to soak in," Gästrin said.
The 18-year-old has stood out so far, showcasing his smooth-skating ability and getting more comfortable with Marco's drills as they went on. His effort and willingness didn't go unnoticed on the first day, as he kept up with the likes of Terik Parascak and other top prospects.
When it comes down to it, he can likely learn on the same trajectory that Andrew Cristall, the top skater at camp so far, did. Management has been looking forward to seeing the Swede, citing his leadership, work ethic and ability.
Gästrin is set to play for MoDo full-time in the SHL next season, where he'll get key experience playing against grown men. That, plus the experience he picks up this week, will be key in leading him toward his goal of being an impact player at the NHL level.
"That will be really good for me and my development... hopefully, I can make it here," Gästrin said.
Development camp continues on Wednesday with positional play and skills work.
