Charlie Stramel Talks About Bounceback Season

I'm hoping for a big season from Stramel. I don't think it will show up in points. He has to be extremely hard to play against, taking the body frequently. I'm hoping he looks engaged. Skates hard. Gets in front of the net often. Stramel can be a beast, but probably not a line 1 participant.

I'm also hoping for trading for Laine. I just think we can fix him, he will skate harder here, and will give us the secondary scoring we need. He shouldn't cost all that much as it's looking more like it'll be difficult to move him due mainly to his cap number. Most contenders have already used up their space, and if there are some willing to take on the cap number, they'll need to be bribed. CBJ is in a very bad position.

Yes to Stramel if he can steamroll people.  No to Laine because he's lucky to even be on the ice more than a shift...

28 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I'm also hoping for trading for Laine. I just think we can fix him, he will skate harder here, and will give us the secondary scoring we need.

If Guerin has an ounce of interest in bringing in Laine I will give up trying to understand Guerin's logic.  Laine seems to be the opposite of everything Guerin has been trying to build since his arrival.  I also don't think we have the cap space for this old, selfish player, with more than a little baggage. 

30 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I'm hoping for a big season from Stramel.

Stramzy may be the prospect with the lowest expectations from the fan base.  He has been so disrespected by the fanbase (fair or unfair) that if he becomes a bottom six cement-head, fans will be happy and forget he was a 1st rounder.

For a team lacking cement heads that size, he would be nice and cheap.

29 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

For a team lacking cement heads that size, he would be nice and cheap.

He has the same pedigree as Greenway (NTDP → NCAA) which means I'm guessing he's not built to be a cementhead.

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

If Guerin has an ounce of interest in bringing in Laine I will give up trying to understand Guerin's logic.  Laine seems to be the opposite of everything Guerin has been trying to build since his arrival.  I also don't think we have the cap space for this old, selfish player, with more than a little baggage. 

Regarding the old part specifically:

I think you are confused because he's been in the league a while.  Laine is only 26.  He is younger than Kaprizov.  He'd be one of the toughest players on the roster.  I'd hardly call him old.

I waffle on whether he'd be a good idea or not, but a winger who is a sniper and also has a RHS would help significantly.  It's hard to bet that hard on a change of scenery guy.  If it doesn't work out, we'd be in an extremely bad spot.

34 minutes ago, raithis said:

Regarding the old part specifically:

I think you are confused because he's been in the league a while.  Laine is only 26.  He is younger than Kaprizov.  He'd be one of the toughest players on the roster.  I'd hardly call him old.

I waffle on whether he'd be a good idea or not, but a winger who is a sniper and also has a RHS would help significantly.  It's hard to bet that hard on a change of scenery guy.  If it doesn't work out, we'd be in an extremely bad spot.

I did not realize he's only 26.  Ok, he's not old.

5 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Yes to Stramel if he can steamroll people.  No to Laine because he's lucky to even be on the ice more than a shift...

Even if somehow able to unload our finest Nojo and Freddy G?

I would guess he will play stay in the NCAA through his senior year, which is good.  It will allow him to mature as a player in a competitive location.  Seems a bit off to me that a 1st round pick is being discussed as a 3rd line center at best.  That isn't good drafting if that ends up being the case.

43 minutes ago, MNCountryLife said:

I would guess he will play stay in the NCAA through his senior year, which is good.  It will allow him to mature as a player in a competitive location.  Seems a bit off to me that a 1st round pick is being discussed as a 3rd line center at best.  That isn't good drafting if that ends up being the case.

I wouldn't worry about using a 1st round pick for a 3rd line center.  We've got JEE, Boldy, and Rossi as Wild 1st round picks on the first two lines (with Kaprizov as the 5th round steal), and you can presumably add Ohgren as well if he plays well in preseason. Add Yurov next year, and it's almost half of our forwards as 1st rounders (and I'd go ahead and count Kaprizov as a 1st round talent) before Stramel comes into the picture.

3 hours ago, MNCountryLife said:

I would guess he will play stay in the NCAA through his senior year, which is good.  It will allow him to mature as a player in a competitive location.  Seems a bit off to me that a 1st round pick is being discussed as a 3rd line center at best.  That isn't good drafting if that ends up being the case.

3rd line C definitely seems like his upside right now. His comp is now essentially Jordan Greenway and he doesn't look favorable by comparison.

In Greenway's first 2 years in college, he posted 57 points in 76 games.

In Stramel's first 2 years in college, he's posted 20 points in 67 games, actually finishing with fewer points on a better team his Sophomore year.

In Greenway's 3rd college season, he was within 1 point of a point/game pace. We'll see where Stramel finishes, but anything close to that would be rather shocking.

As for good drafting, most thought it was a bad selection at the time. While many were hopeful, that perception really hasn't changed. We can all wish for more, but the reality is that most guys don't suddenly become far more skilled to the point that they are playing top 2 lines in the NHL.

He could be a useful depth player, but it seems very unlikely Stramel becomes a top 6 NHL forward for a team with playoff aspirations.

Stramel was probably picked as a gamble if Rossi turned out to be shit and they had NOTHING behind Ek.  It looks worse in context because you have 4-5 people (only counting prospects, not even counting Trenin at this point) Stramel would have to leapfrog to be a forward on the team.  The thing is, if Yurov, Heidt, or Ohgren hit, Stramel barely has any room on the roster as constructed anyway.  

Not everyone drafted 1st has to be some godsend goal scoring machine.  You just kinda hope that's the case.  If Stramel is a penalty killer, a hard power forward to play against on a checking or 4th line, and he uses his size effectively, he'll get a spot someday.

The Wild are never going to be a high scoring team.  They got lucky a season or two (17 and 22), but they are forever going to be defined as a team that has to be smart and force other teams to make mistakes while not fucking up on their own.  

Stramel wouldn't be the first 1st round failure, or the worst either way.  It only looks bad because "LOOKAT THE SHINY GUY SCORE GOAL WOO!"  Teams can't be all offense.  It'll only be bad if Stramel ends up completely invisible.

I think Stramel's game will be predominantly in the bottom 6. He was chosen to be hard to play against as it seems like Guerin was trying to recreate some line similar to the GREEF line. Kumpulainen, Lorenz, Bankier, could all be part of a line like that since they have those larger frames (no need to talk about the importance of them bulking up). 

However, according to Stramel's scouting report during his draft year, he's got some really nice hands in tight. This could lead to an in front of the net position on PP2. If you look at Stramel's stats, I thought he tore it up in the USNTDL. I thought wrong. He's never been a big point producer. So, his importance will be in skating hard, playing the body hard, and being an absolute menace to play against. Hopefully, one of his skills will be dominant in the dot. A line of guys who are big and simply destroy the other line, keeping possession of the puck down low and other lines bottled up are very important, and this is a line Guerin seems to want on his team. I would think that Stramel is seen as a replacement for Foligno.  

13 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Stramel wouldn't be the first 1st round failure, or the worst either way.  It only looks bad because "LOOKAT THE SHINY GUY SCORE GOAL WOO!"  Teams can't be all offense.  It'll only be bad if Stramel ends up completely invisible.

It looks bad because most 2nd round picks are far more productive. His draft position is the only thing currently making him visible.

If he was selected at the end of the 2nd round pick, he'd already be written off based upon production. When you're drafting in the first round, you hope to get someone more skilled than Duhaime(4th round, #106 overall).

Stramel's sophomore year in college was about as productive as Duhaime's freshman season at Providence College. Duhaime outproduced Stramel in sophomore season points 26 - 8. Hopefully things go better at Mich St.

10 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

If he was selected at the end of the 2nd round pick, he'd already be written off based upon production. When you're drafting in the first round, you hope to get someone more skilled than Duhaime(4th round, #106 overall).

KA-BOOM!!  Truth bomb.

If Stramel battles his way into the Wild lineup and becomes Duhaime 2.0 and a bottom six fixture it's a FAIL.  It's the opportunity cost of passing on a player in the 1st round who had the potential to become a top six player.

We can always overpay for a Trenin like cement head who pots 8 goals and 11 assists thru 82 games, in the off-season.  That fuckin' guy better play angry every single shift or this gets added to the Guerin blunder column.

Guess I'll just be alone on my island then.  Until he can't crack the team at 23-25 or gets traded or plays completely invisible, I'll just wait it out.

On 7/31/2024 at 10:30 AM, Pewterschmidt said:

 He has been so disrespected by the fanbase (fair or unfair) that if he becomes a bottom six cement-head, fans will be happy and forget he was a 1st rounder.

Not this guy.  This team has had wayyyyy too many misses on selections to have a throw away.  Sure, the team has hit a lot more recently than the first couple decades, but a huge reach is a huge reach.  On a team that struggles to put pucks in nets, cement head was last on my needs list.

I hope he turns into whatever they thought he would turn in to, but I don't think you spend a first rounder on someone you think will be bottom six.  Ever.

1 hour ago, Dis-allowed display name said:

Not this guy.  This team has had wayyyyy too many misses on selections to have a throw away.  Sure, the team has hit a lot more recently than the first couple decades, but a huge reach is a huge reach.  On a team that struggles to put pucks in nets, cement head was last on my needs list.

I hope he turns into whatever they thought he would turn in to, but I don't think you spend a first rounder on someone you think will be bottom six.  Ever.

Agree 100%

8 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

It looks bad because most 2nd round picks are far more productive. His draft position is the only thing currently making him visible.

If he was selected at the end of the 2nd round pick, he'd already be written off based upon production. When you're drafting in the first round, you hope to get someone more skilled than Duhaime(4th round, #106 overall).

But Huck, what is your definition of production? If it's just points, you'll be pretty disappointed. Stramel has never put up a bunch of points. If it is bringing a game that is hard to play against, and very menacing, I think you might be happy. 

Guys, we have this in our top 6 right now. Kaprizov, Ek, Boldy, Rossi. Projected coming is Heidt, Haight, Yurov, Ohgren. Last time I looked, they call it a top 6 because there's 6 guys in it. If Stramel doesn't make top 6 because that's already covered, how is that a whiff? 

31 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

Guys, we have this in our top 6 right now. Kaprizov, Ek, Boldy, Rossi. Projected coming is Heidt, Haight, Yurov, Ohgren. Last time I looked, they call it a top 6 because there's 6 guys in it. If Stramel doesn't make top 6 because that's already covered, how is that a whiff? 

 

Exactly my point. I'll be just fine with this as our top three lines in, say, 26-27:

Boldy - JEE - Kaprizov 

Yurov - Rossi - Heidt

Ohgren - Stramel - Haight

Swap wings / centers as needed, but that could be a very strong lineup. 

With Faber / Buium / Brodin / Spurgeon / ??? on D, and Wallstedt / Gus or ?? in net, let's do it...

I'm going to wipe the slate clean and see what he has got this year in his new digs.

3 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

If it's just points, you'll be pretty disappointed. Stramel has never put up a bunch of points. If it is bringing a game that is hard to play against, and very menacing, I think you might be happy. 

I think most would want points from a 1st rounder. I'd think you can get menacing big guys in later rounds. If he turns into a Jordan Greenway(50th overall), or has the toughness of a Marcus Foligno(#104 overall), it's not a completely blown pick, it's just less exciting than you hope for with a 1st.

As I've mentioned previously, the guy I'll be comparing him to is David Edstrom, who isn't likely to be a top line C, but might bring some similarities to the game we enjoy from Eriksson Ek. He's in the Swedish league(3rd best in the world), playing against grown men, and just posted 19 points in 44 games while possessing solid size and being hard to play against.

If Edstrom turns out to be half as good as Eriksson Ek, who had 15 points in 41 SHL games after his draft year, and Stramel turns out to be 3/4 of Duhaime, I think a lot of people will be a bit disappointed.

There's still hope, but things haven't been promising so far. I know Stramel can skate well for a big guy, but I don't know if he's actually good defensively. What I do know is that nobody on that Wisconsin team had a worse +/- last season than Stramel, and that isn't very encouraging. I really hope things are better at Mich St.

2 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

I think most would want points from a 1st rounder. I'd think you can get menacing big guys in later rounds. If he turns into a Jordan Greenway(50th overall), or has the toughness of a Marcus Foligno(#104 overall), it's not a completely blown pick, it's just less exciting than you hope for with a 1st.

As I've mentioned previously, the guy I'll be comparing him to is David Edstrom, who isn't likely to be a top line C, but might bring some similarities to the game we enjoy from Eriksson Ek. He's in the Swedish league(3rd best in the world), playing against grown men, and just posted 19 points in 44 games while possessing solid size and being hard to play against.

If Edstrom turns out to be half as good as Eriksson Ek, who had 15 points in 41 SHL games after his draft year, and Stramel turns out to be 3/4 of Duhaime, I think a lot of people will be a bit disappointed.

There's still hope, but things haven't been promising so far. I know Stramel can skate well for a big guy, but I don't know if he's actually good defensively. What I do know is that nobody on that Wisconsin team had a worse +/- last season than Stramel, and that isn't very encouraging. I really hope things are better at Mich St.

I personally played for some coaches who had "their guys". I don't know much at all about Stramel or anything specific but if you're having some nagging hip-flexor problems which can take a long time to heal or not favored by the coach, it can be brutal. That kind of adversity is what Stramel describes. Does that mean he's actually a Hobey Baker candidate? No, but he should be able to get a new start and benefit from a coach who he trusts. That much is true and hopefully he'll be able to build some confidence and stay healthy.