Article: The Wild Shouldn't Move Charlie Stramel At the Deadline

[Eric Forga]

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[Fortis]

If Boldy can mentor this kid on puck protection he’ll be an elite Center. Heck, Boldy could be an elite center

[Scalptrash]

Still not a 1C in the NHL. Yurov isn't a true 1C either and probably won't be.

Trade Yurov and Jiricek for Thompson, problem solved. Stramel can still slide in as a 2 or 3.

[MrCheatachu]

Stramel's first two years at Wisconsin really scared me. 

He had two different coaches, which he fell out of favor with both.  He dropped down to 4th line wing prior to transferring to MSU and playing along the eventual Hobey Baker winner (Isaac Howard) for his NTDP coach.

That said, I'll buy the argument he was an 18 year old kid who just lost his dad and was living away from his home for the first time.  I'll buy-in to his performance at MSU this year looking noticeable* all over the ice.

He's the prospect that intrigues me the most, not because he looks like a slam dunk to slot in as an eventual Ek replacement when Ek's body finally completely gives out, but because I have no clue what he's going to turn into.  Well, besides Benak.

That said, I do think he is probably the biggest chip we have right now for getting in impactful player back.  If we're in the 'win now' mode we're going to have to shift at looking to what a prospect might be capable of in 3-5 years, but rather what we can get in return from him.

*i've only watched one game of him his entire career...

Edited Thursday at 10:20 PM by MrCheatachu

[mnfaninnc]

I have to agree with Eric on this one, don't trade him out. At the very least, he could be our Breezers of this season. 

The key is signing him when this season is over. He and Sturm can be that help for Ek that Guerin was talking about. Lorenz is also on this list and might be able to help too. These guys are additions. Trade out Iowa guys or future picks but leave Stramel out of it. 

Here's the thing: It's not about what Stramel can be 5 years down the road that we look forward to, it's what he can be now! He's a big guy that can skate and can hopefully play mean. Those are the playoff shifts I want, ones that wear a team down in games and series. Keep his game simple, and we go from there. 

I know he's a center, and probably will be later, but the same kind of start is what Tage was when he was young. He just kept working hard and after a couple of seasons exploded in Buffalo. St. Louis never thought he would be what he is now. 

[Imyourhuckleberry]

16 hours ago, MrCheatachu said:

That said, I'll buy the argument he was an 18 year old kid who just lost his dad and was living away from his home for the first time.  I'll buy-in to his performance at MSU this year looking noticeable* all over the ice.

That is certainly an aspect that cannot be measured. One might imagine his dad being highly involved in his hockey career. It's possible that the fun and drive that he had with his father around disappeared for a while and it just became a grind that he lost his passion for while at Wisconsin.

Moving to play for a coach who knew his dad and had a history with him during his pre-college development years could have reignited some fire inside him. I'm not a psychologist, but have been wondering about this for a long time.

Stramel has a chance to become a solid 3rd line center. I would not anticipate a real scorer. His points this season are solid, but he still isn't a producer at a level better than Jack McBain or Nico Sturm for a 4th year NCAA player. McBain's best NHL season to date is 27 points, and he's on a pace below that for this current season. Sturm's top season is right around there as well.

Stramel could certainly develop more than those guys, but if anyone is expecting a top 6 scoring forward, disappointment may follow.

[Up North Guy]

2 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

That is certainly an aspect that cannot be measured. One might imagine his dad being highly involved in his hockey career. It's possible that the fun and drive that he had with his father around disappeared for a while and it just became a grind that he lost his passion for while at Wisconsin.

Add to that his second year he had a coaching change who brought in transfers from his old job (MSU Mankato) and played all of them ahead of existing guys like Stramel.

[TCMooch]

middle/bottom centers are a dime a dozen. I want us full in this year to win the cup so trade anybody and everybody if there is a bonafide 1C or top 6 center that will put up a 30/30 season that ends up on the table

[Burnt Toast]

22 hours ago, Scalptrash said:

Trade Yurov and Jiricek for Thompson

Done. TT would bring back a Quinn type of haul to Buff. The best the Wild can hope for is a 1C Lite/Older/Rental. What blows my mind is how Brock Nelson is thriving in Colorado. They did a fantastic job rebooting this year. My expectations on the next Wild trade are just a solid addition to help with scoring and playoff depth. 

[Kato AK]

23 hours ago, Scalptrash said:

Still not a 1C in the NHL. Yurov isn't a true 1C either and probably won't be.

Trade Yurov and Jiricek for Thompson, problem solved. Stramel can still slide in as a 2 or 3.

Complains about Wild prospects not being a true 1C. Proposes trade for also not a true 1C. Brilliant!