Article: Charlie Stramel Deserves Another Shot

[Up North Guy]

Russo wrote about Stramel yesterday in the Athletic. The kid has had a rough go of it his first two seasons in college. His Dad died. That had to have rocked him. Wisconsin put too much on the kid last year as a 17/18 year old with marginal talent and poor coaching around him. This year, according to Russo, there are several high draft picks and prospects that have had big regression years or down right ugly years. At least a couple quit the team. I am pretty sure Stramel will hit the transfer portal and hopefully he lands somewhere he can be developed properly and get the support he needs. Perhaps he never amounts to much. It happens. Perhaps he grows his game and succeeds. What is the expectation for a mid first round draft pick? Who knows. 

[Imyourhuckleberry]

13 hours ago, Need4speed99 said:

Hopefully stramel can turn it around but I don't ever see him being a top 6 player. 

Yeah, I think Jack McBain was another guy who wasn't overly productive his first 2 years of college, but made the NHL. McBain is nearing a 30 point scorer(per 80 games) on lower lines. If Stramel can be that type of player in 12.5 minutes per game, that could be useful--an upgrade from Duhaime.

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

McBain is nearing a 30 point scorer(per 80 games) on lower lines. If Stramel can be that type of player in 12.5 minutes per game,

Stramel does not need to become a 1C for the pick to not be a failure.  If he's a serviceable, big bodied, PHYSICAL bottom six C that's good enough

[Imyourhuckleberry]

45 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Stramel does not need to become a 1C for the pick to not be a failure.  If he's a serviceable, big bodied, PHYSICAL bottom six C that's good enough

Oh, I don't disagree. I'm just saying that's where my expectations are set for a somewhat optimal outcome compared to where he is at now.  A McBain or Greenway outcome is not 100% bust even if the pick was poorly managed.

Someone who never plays a full NHL season is a full bust, but perhaps he's someone who is maybe upgrading line 4 around age 24, possibly elevating to line 3 in his prime.

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

22 hours ago, Pewterschmidt said:

If we spent a 1st on Brandon Duhaime or Sturm Brackett should be walked out in hand cuffs

It wasn't on Brackett that Guerin demanded we draft for need not best available. The fact Gabe Perreault is tearing it up and looks to be a top six goal scorer is an inditement on drafting for need altogether. 

[Tony Abbott]

17 hours ago, Dean said:

Judd passed on Matt Thachuk ?  I didn’t know that. Definitely changes my opinion of him.

His GM overruled him. He did not let that happen again the next year when Benning preferred Cody Glass over Elias Pettersson. 

[Willy the poor boy]

16 hours ago, Up North Guy said:

What is the expectation for a mid first round draft pick? Who knows. 

Well at this point of his career you would hope he could crack the top 6. Best of luck to him though.

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

It wasn't on Brackett that Guerin demanded we draft for need not best available. The fact Gabe Perreault is tearing it up and looks to be a top six goal scorer is an inditement on drafting for need altogether. 

Fair point.  I don't have a problem with drafting for size as this team is full of tiny dancers who cannot compete in the playoffs.  The Wild roster and pipeline is full of undersized skill guys.

I do have a problem if Stramel was the wrong big body to draft while others drafted after him are playing roles on their respective NHL teams.  Time will tell and google searches of 2023's draft will provide the justification/ammunition 

[Protec]

Having watched Brady Tkachuk bully the Wild last night, I'd say the Wild need to draft for toughness and being hard to play against. 

1 hour ago, Tony Abbott said:

His GM overruled him. He did not let that happen again the next year when Benning preferred Cody Glass over Elias Pettersson. 

For us poor folk who don't spend moolah on Athletic, does that writer "suggest" that Benning picked a Euro over Tkachuk or has Brackett said that himself? 

Not trying to be a Brackett hater. I just have questions and I always hear these draft guys are gurus.

[Protec]

Tage Thompson took time to become a big scorer. Similar to Stramel is some ways but it was seven years from USNTDP til he became a potent NHL goal-scorer. Ek too wasn't great immediately. Rossi also seems to have figured it out. Stramel doesn't need to be a 19 year old NHL superstar. I think he should just finish his time out at WI. Earn a bigger role. Show more scoring. Just keep getting better. He doesn't need to play for the Wild for a few years at least. If he somehow makes the Wild sooner, that's great but the Wild aren't desperate or anything. 

[viper3119]

49 minutes ago, Protec said:

I think he should just finish his time out at WI.

He's already entered the transfer portal so will not be continuing at Wisconsin.

[Protec]

29 minutes ago, viper3119 said:

He's already entered the transfer portal so will not be continuing at Wisconsin.

What's that mean then, he's like a college free agent? 😄

I really don't know. I've focused all my spare time ragging on NoJo the past couple weeks.

[Beast]

It’s looking like such a horrible draft pick and no amount of rationalizing things changes that.

It doesn’t matter that they may have made good picks in the past, or the second or third rounder look like potential great picks.

Considering some of the guys left on the board there when they took Stramel, it’s looking like a huge missed opportunity.  That is what is regardless of the nonstop rationalization of this pick.

That said, it can still turn around.  Can’t be written off completely yet.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

26 minutes ago, Protec said:

What's that mean then, he's like a college free agent? 😄

Basically. He could technically still withdraw from the transfer portal to stay at WI, but chances are high that he will join another program.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

1 hour ago, Protec said:

Tage Thompson took time to become a big scorer.

At the NHL level, yes. In both years of college, he scored nearly a point per game.

• Tage Thompson had 14 goals and 18 assists as a freshman in 36 games.
• Stramel has 8 goals and 12 assists in 67 games through 2 seasons.

I don't think the concern would be high if Stramel was anywhere near Tage Thompson's college production.

Edited April 3 by Imyourhuckleberry

[Protec]

True but he spent awhile in the AHL and was traded out of STL. 

Not saying one bit that I like Brackett picks where he gets em and how he's doing it but Stramel can't be toast immediately. It is true though that the Wild had a dud in 2018 by guru Paul Fenton so whenever I hear this guru crud, I begin to doubt bigly.

[Patrick]

On 4/2/2024 at 11:01 AM, Pewterschmidt said:

If we spent a 1st on Brandon Duhaime or Sturm Brackett should be walked out in hand cuffs

Lol. Look at any draft. There are plenty of first round guys that don't make the NHL. Are you one of those delusional fans that expects every pick, every year to be the best value in the draft. And that the Wild roster should have the biggest, fastest and most talented at every position and everyone of them should be the MVP? 😂😂😂

[Protec]

13 hours ago, Patrick said:

Lol. Look at any draft. There are plenty of first round guys that don't make the NHL. Are you one of those delusional fans that expects every pick, every year to be the best value in the draft. And that the Wild roster should have the biggest, fastest and most talented at every position and everyone of them should be the MVP? 😂😂😂

It's early and things change but it's hard to argue that Perreault looks like he was the best available guy. You can find big athletic bottom six guys outside the 1st round top 20.

The argument I've made before with Tkachuk being a Brackett miss has been partially debunked blaming Benning. Well then, how do we look at Brackett's other ideas? Many of us have questioned the Rossi pick. Not because he isn't a talented, hard-working player, but because of the overall context. What did the Wild need then, who was available? Why did so many teams pass on Rossi? Does anyone think that was an accident? Yurov looks way better than Ohgren and much less injured. We'll have to see what happens obviously, but MN needs results. They don't need PR feel good stories or guruisms. 

[Willy the poor boy]

15 hours ago, Patrick said:

Lol. Look at any draft. There are plenty of first round guys that don't make the NHL. Are you one of those delusional fans that expects every pick, every year to be the best value in the draft. And that the Wild roster should have the biggest, fastest and most talented at every position and everyone of them should be the MVP? 😂😂😂

The problem is he has underperformed for the last 2 years. Maybe the transfer can get him going, but to this point IF it's a miss it looks like it could be a yuge miss. Like a Filip Johanssen type of miss. Not good and really not acceptable, those guys job is to detect talent, you can't have those big misses early in the draft.

That said, the jury is still out.

[Protec]

That's why I wonder what the big picture strategy is for Brackett? Swing for the fences 1st round? If Heidt had been the 1st overall it might have looked like a reach then, but would be all good now. The fact MN got him in the 3rd, shouldn't excuse the Wild's misuse of a 1st if that is indeed the conclusion. It's just such a weird call and brings the thought-process into question because does a big athletic guy who performs well at the combine outweigh the obvious scoring talent that was evident in Perreault? Kinda how the Rossi OHL season outweighed the need at the time for a center like Lundell to take the torch from Koivu. Now that Lundell looks like an Ek on a Cup Final team, it's fair to ask what does Brackett do? Does being a guru mean you  confuse and misdirect reason to later arrive at the draft pick jamboree by surprise to relieve all doubts???

The draft is one of the most interesting events because you just never know til you know. Some guys will be obvious impact players. Others who emerge as great NHLers come out of nowhere. MN has had some good fortune in the draft but it sure has had some misses.

 

[Protec]

For example, had Brackett selected Lundell. He has 108 points in his first three seasons in 210 games for FL. Good size and skating. Plays center. Like the player MN needed. Like Ek in many ways but Ek took 4 seasons to get to 210 games and he had 66 points.

Rossi had a good year now this season a couple years after Lundell. There's plenty of reason to be happy for Rossi, but the comparisons, evaluations, stats, and clock were both equal for MN and Florida on draft day 2020.

When I look at Brackett's record, he has some good ones, and some questionable ones. I hate to say it, but the Stramel pick has a lot of cope & rationalization just like the P. Johhannsson pick in 2018. Let's hope Stramel can get things going just because it sucks to be bogged down with a team where the coach doesn't wanna give you an important role. I'm gonna start with that, but it's pretty hard to watch the guys MN doesn't draft prove it and make it before our guys. Happens a lot...

 

[Willy the poor boy]

22 minutes ago, Protec said:

For example, had Brackett selected Lundell. He has 108 points in his first three seasons in 210 games for FL. Good size and skating. Plays center. Like the player MN needed. Like Ek in many ways but Ek took 4 seasons to get to 210 games and he had 66 points.

Rossi had a good year now this season a couple years after Lundell. There's plenty of reason to be happy for Rossi, but the comparisons, evaluations, stats, and clock were both equal for MN and Florida on draft day 2020.

When I look at Brackett's record, he has some good ones, and some questionable ones. I hate to say it, but the Stramel pick has a lot of cope & rationalization just like the P. Johhannsson pick in 2018. Let's hope Stramel can get things going just because it sucks to be bogged down with a team where the coach doesn't wanna give you an important role. I'm gonna start with that, but it's pretty hard to watch the guys MN doesn't draft prove it and make it before our guys. Happens a lot...

 

It does need to be mentioned that Rossi did have a serious battle with Covid that in all likelihood slowed his progress.

[Protec]

35 minutes ago, Willy the poor boy said:

It does need to be mentioned that Rossi did have a serious battle with Covid that in all likelihood slowed his progress.

That's true. At the same time, results are what counts in pro-hockey. Had Rossi not fallen and MN stuck with the plan to replace Koivu some other fanbase could discuss Rossi's COVID/Jab, whatever gave him the heart problem.

I like Rossi on a team that adds a player to their already complete core. I'm not sure Rossi is the future 1C top-six core guy. Ek is, and Lundell looks like he could be. It's just an interesting debate because we're always ripping on Guerin having "his" guys. What about us? Let's look in the mirror. Who are our guys or not. Should we be open to changes on the roster? There's a history of Guerin moves that aren't well-received initially that turn out well. Shouldn't we consider that a trade could go well. Is is 100% sure that a Rossi trade will be a total goof?

Brodin, Ek, Faber, Kaprizov, Boldy, and soon hopefully Chisholm/Yurov/Wally are your core guys IMO that you've got in the long-term plans..

[Pewterschmidt]

3 hours ago, Willy the poor boy said:

The problem is he has underperformed for the last 2 years. Maybe the transfer can get him going, but to this point IF it's a miss it looks like it could be a yuge miss. Like a Filip Johanssen type of miss. Not good and really not acceptable, those guys job is to detect talent, you can't have those big misses early in the draft.

That said, the jury is still out.

^^^^^What he said

[Willy the poor boy]

3 hours ago, Protec said:

 

There's a history of Guerin moves that aren't well-received initially that turn out well. Shouldn't we consider that a trade could go well. Is is 100% sure that a Rossi trade will be a total goof?

Brodin, Ek, Faber, Kaprizov, Boldy, and soon hopefully Chisholm/Yurov/Wally are your core guys IMO that you've got in the long-term plans..

Just for the record my main beef with Guerin is his anger (T Bot) and, no way to sugarcoat it, his stupidity (Running Fiala down publicly while he was actively trying to trade him). He's had results but if he keeps trading players out of anger and/or keeps running his mouth about players he's trying to get rid of the success percentage will keep dropping.

And yes he could pull off a good trade for Rossi, but that's harder to do when you're the one shopping a player and trying to find a partner, good GM's will take advantage of that.

A lot of talk that Rossi is to small. I personally think he will be better than Boldy. Boldy is bigger but he's soft. He doesn't lay anyone out or put the big hit on anyone. JMO.