By Kalisha Turnipseed -
The Minnesota Wild can turn Charlie Stramel into a dependable player by slotting him alongside Rasmus Kumpulainen and Rieger Lorenz. By doing so, they would show Wild fans the new and improved version of the GREEF line that featured Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno, and old friend Jordan Greenway.
Stramel has faced backlash ever since Minnesota took him 21st overall in 2023. However, Stramel can redeem himself at Michigan by playing to his identity as a checking line player.
He can also become a more durable version of Colin White, who the Ottawa Senators selected 21st overall in 2015. White suffered injuries that have derailed his career, but he’s an ideal rotational forward. Stramel is bigger and stronger than White. He may not become a speedster, but the Wild will make Stramel’s role clear.
The Wild will test Stramel in all situations, but they should embrace his identity as a checking line player, much like Marcus Foligno. He will thrive on creating attention around the net and finishing his checks to create turnovers. Stramel will find his strengths through the cycle game and initiating open-ice hits. He can learn to bring more of a sandpaper game from Ryan Hartman.
Stramel could eventually replace Yakov Trenin, whom Guerin signed to a four-year extension during free agency. He fits Trenin's role for the Wild, meaning Stramel has a four-year window to develop into his ideal role.
With a four-year window, Stramel can spend two more years in college hockey and two in the AHL to prepare for an NHL role. In a recent Q&A with Wild senior digital content producer Brandon McCauley, McCauley asked why he transferred to Michigan State.
“I think the initial trust there,” Stramel responded. “I played for (Adam) Nightingale, their head coach, for a few years. I was with their strength coach, Will Morlock, for a little while as well. I know a few guys on the team – a very successful team on the upslope, program-wise. It was a no-brainer for me and I'm really looking forward to next year. I’m excited to take advantage of this new opportunity.”
Can Stramel adopt Greenway's identity that made him successful in college? Greenway created an identity as a defensively responsible winger who could win puck battles. That’s what Michigan needs, and Stramel is playing with the right chip on his shoulder.
Stramel knows that Nightengale won’t hand anything to him, even though he coached him before. Does Stramel have a different gear that we don't know about? Or is he already a bust?
White is a former first-round pick, and while they’re different players, he’s an ideal NCAA comparison for Stramel. White played his freshman and sophomore years with Boston College (NCAA), where he scored 76 points (1.06 points) in 72 games. White signed his Entry-Level Contract (ELC) with the Senators. He later played 3 AHL games and got called up to play 2 NHL games.
At his peak, White scored 41 points (14 goals and 27 assists) in 71 games, which is why the Senators thought he was on the verge of breaking out. However, he regressed the following season, scoring 23 points in 61 games.
White has never been able to recover from his breakout season and never reached 70 games played again. However, he played 68 games with the Florida Panthers in 2022-23.
White has gone scoreless in his last 38 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens. White has failed to cement himself as an NHLer and will likely bounce around the NHL as a depth forward.
White has played 320 games in his career and has scored 113 points, which is a scoring rate of 0.35 points.
White played a shutdown role when he was at his peak. However, injuries derailed his career from being a top-nine player. Due to his injury history, White isn't physically built to be in a consistent checking role in the NHL. Can Stramel serve better in his role?
Stramel could be an early call-up if Foligno suffers more injuries. Foligno can be Stramel's mentor, the ideal player for Stramel to develop his game at Michigan State, which may be why Guerin selected Stramel to begin with.
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