Charlie Stramel May Hit the Apex Of His Long Development Journey This Season

Charlie Stramel enters the most pivotal year of his development next season. It feels like we’ve been saying that for the last three years now.

Stramel’s journey to become the senior leader for Michigan State has been long and arduous. His first two seasons at Wisconsin were disappointing (20 points in 67 games), but he had a breakout season last year for Michigan State.

Entering his draft year, Stramel was seen as a sure-fire top 15 pick, if not top 10, according to most scouting organizations. Players with his combination of size (6-foot-3, 220 lbs.) and skill don’t come along often. That’s what Wild director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett emphasized in his draft interview.

Brackett wasn’t alone in his assessment. 

“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with,” said one of Stramel’s former teammates, who also played with Stramel's former teammate, Issac Howard, who recently signed with the Edmonton Oilers.

Howard was the Hobey Baker award winner for Michigan State, and a huge factor in his success was having Stramel as his center. Stramel won 52% of his draws and played a solid two-way game. Throughout the year, Stramel set up Michigan State’s offense to set career highs in all categories. After producing only 20 points total in 67 games as a freshman and sophomore at Wisconsin, he had 27 points in 37 games as a junior at MSU.

While Howard is leaving, the Spartans will get help from two of the most talented offensive players in college hockey. Cayden Lindstrom, the fourth overall pick two years ago for Columbus, and Porter Martone, the sixth overall pick for Philadelphia this past season, will join the team in the fall.

Stramel could project as a strong two-way center, with size and skill to complement it. Think of a more filled-out and more aggressive Joel Eriksson Ek. Stramel may never be a point-per-game player in the NHL, but if you get a reliable 200-foot center to play in your middle six, that’s a win. That’s exactly what Joel Eriksson Ek is, and nobody is complaining about how he turned out.

It’s still fair to criticize the Stramel pick in light of how players drafted after him have progressed. But with how Stramel has rebuilt his stock after a tumultuous season, it’s hard not to root for him to succeed in his senior season and his future as a key member for Minnesota.

All stats and data via HockeyDB and Elite Prospects unless otherwise noted.