Charlie Stramel Is Becoming the Center the Wild Hoped For

Charlie Stramel’s progress was one of the Minnesota Wild’s most encouraging prospect stories this year. The former first-round pick had struggled in his first two NCAA seasons with Wisconsin after playing well with the U.S. National Development Team. His transfer to Michigan State and reunion with former coach Adam Nightinengale seemed to be a last-ditch effort to get his development on track. 

The move did wonders for the center, improving his point totals from eight in his last season with Wisconsin to 27 in his first season in East Lansing. His play this season has been even better. Stramel is building on his breakout junior year and showing even more signs that some people who called him a bust too soon were wrong.

Michigan State is 14 games into its season. In those contests, Stramel has established himself as a true No. 1 center. He defends well, contributes offensively, and is a crucial part of a No. 3-ranked program in the country.

Stramel is second on the team in scoring, with six goals and 11 assists, his highest points-per-game (1.21) output of his college career. His scoring jump has been partly due to Stramel's consistent, assertive play. He’s averaging 2.64 shots per game this season after putting up 2.3 shots per game last season. 

While the numbers on the stat sheet have been encouraging, a deep dive into Stramel’s play that’s produced them provides vital context.

The first thing that stood out about Stramel’s play is that he’s continued to build on one of the best aspects from his last campaign. He’s doing a great job at using one of his best assets, his size, to his advantage. 

Stramel is listed at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, and has always had a physical edge to his game. During his tenure in Wisconsin, he was unable to use that effectively to create offense, which was a significant factor in his lack of production with the Badgers.

Since transferring to Michigan State, the Rosemount, Minn. native has been far more effective at playing like the power forward he projects to be at the next level. He can dominate in the offensive zone in front of the net and create offense with deflections, rebound chances, and generally create issues for the other team’s goaltender.

Plays like the one above against Boston University are excellent showcases for Stramel’s instincts. As soon as the defender starts to follow the forward into the corner, Stramel parks himself in the newly vacated spot on the ice. The other BU defender is too burdened to put full effort into clearing Stramel out of the net-front area, which leads to Stramel’s deflection goal.

Stramel’s ability to be a net-front presence has been a signature during his time with the Spartans. However, he’s also developed into a proficient distributor. 

When the Wild drafted Stramel, his passing was a trait that made him a first-round prospect. The EliteProspects 2023 NHL Draft Guide highlighted it as one of his strengths.

Stramel's skill as a small-area distributor was a constant across our viewings, something that seemed immune to the noise around him. His ability to parry opponents and sequence plays with touch and pace from in tight made him a constant offensive driver during sustained offensive zone pressures.

Like most of his talents, that distributing ability didn’t initially translate to college hockey. In 67 games with the Badgers, Stramel registered just 12 assists. His playmaking rebounding last year with 18 assists in 37 games, but it’s been even better this season.

Stramel’s .79 assists per game this year (11 in 14 games) is by far the best of his career, going back to when he was with the U.S. National Developmental team. 

A few of Stramel’s assists this season highlight how much he’s improved as a playmaker.

The goal above is an excellent example of the small-area distribution that Elite Prospects praised in their 2023 draft guide. Stramel jumps on a loose puck behind the net and has the vision to see Porter Martone alone on the other side of the net. 

It would be an easy play for Stramel to play the puck along the boards or try to maintain possession on the power play, but recognizing the opportunity to reverse play and find Martone is a quick decision that showcases his vision.

That passing play is impressive and also highlights Stramel’s chemistry with forward Porter Martone. 

The Philadelphia Flyers took Martone sixth overall in 2025 after he made the jump from the CHL to the NCAA. Some players have had difficulty moving from Canadian juniors to college hockey, but not Martone. He leads all first-year students in the NCAA with 19 points, and that’s largely due to the synergy he’s built with Stramel.

When Stramel distributes the puck the way he has this season, it unlocks a whole dimension to his game. It’s the perfect complement to his physical abilities. Stramel acts as a hub for the Michigan State attack, creating a gravitational pull with his size and strength. When defenders crash down low on Stramel, it opens lanes for his teammates. That style of play gives him potential to contribute offensively at the next level, even if he’s never expected to score like a top-six forward in the NHL.

While it’s great to see Stramel perform in college, the important thing is to project whether he'll be a difference-maker for the Wild. That remains to be seen, but he’s much closer to it now than he was during his first couple of years in college hockey.

Stramel is a physically gifted center who is responsible defensively, wins more than half of his faceoffs, and can drive a line with his assertive play and talent as a distributor. The Wild have struggled to find consistency at center in recent years, with faceoffs a particular weakness. 

He may not project as a star NHLer, but Stramel’s progress at Michigan State positions him well to at least get the chance to show he can play a role for the Wild after he finishes his collegiate career.