ST. PAUL, Minn. — There was a drill during Friday’s prospect camp practice in which Charlie Stramel was going head-to-head against a good buddy, his former University of Wisconsin roommate Ben Dexheimer.
The goal was simple: Use an explosive first few steps, win a board battle, come in and score. Stramel and Dexheimer lined up around the high slot, and AHL Iowa coach Stu Bickel flicked the puck against the wall. Stramel raced and got to the puck first, used his 6-foot-3 frame to get position and knocked the 5-10 defenseman to the ice. Stramel then darted in and scored, drawing stick taps from other prospects.
The size difference between Stramel and Dexheimer was clear. But during the 90-minute workout, Stramel showed examples of what the Wild are looking for if he’s going to crack the NHL roster. He played fast. He played physical — and with an edge.
“He’s right there,” said Brad Bombardir, the Wild director of player development. “We’ve always told our guys, if you want to come in and make an impression and try to make an impact early, it’s up to you. We’ll do everything we possibly can to give you that opportunity. But once you get on the ice with those NHL guys it’s up to you.
“Because the National Hockey League is a monster, right?”
#mnwild prospect camp here for a few days. No games, just practices. Charlie Stramel is the headliner, hoping to make a case for spot during training camp. Here he is in battle with former roommate Ben Dexheimer pic.twitter.com/UO5KFwAJDJ
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) September 11, 2026
Stramel, 21, is the Wild’s top prospect and one of the few players who have a shot of making what seems to be a pretty set roster. Basically, prospects such as Stramel and Hunter Haight will have to blow the team brass away with their play to unseat the many veteran centers already under contract.
And that’s what Stramel is hoping to do. He’s 100 percent recovered from a broken ankle suffered in his last college game, on March 28, against Dexheimer and Wisconsin. Stramel, a top-liner and Hobey Baker candidate with Michigan State last season, knows he has to impress the staff quickly in a shortened camp.
“That’s for sure a goal of mine — I’ve got to bring it in camp and hopefully show them what I’m capable of,” Stramel said. “But at the end of the day, if (making the team) doesn’t happen right away, it doesn’t happen right away. I just want to make the most of my opportunity and be ready to go.”
Stramel looks and sounds as if he’s in a good place mentally. He’s in tremendous shape, with Bombardir mentioning the center’s “exceptional strength” off the ice. The Rosemount native doesn’t seem intimidated by the moment. And Stramel wasn’t fazed by the trade rumors last season as the team tried to acquire a No. 1 center.
Wes Walz, the former Wild center and current color analyst, spent time with Stramel at one of his hockey camps this summer and was left impressed by his mindset.
“He’s ready,” Walz said. “I asked him about his ankle and he said, ‘I’m doing everything I did before, and feel stronger than I did.’ He has that twinkle in his eye that he wants to come in and make the team.”
That we are even having this conversation is impressive considering how Stramel’s college career started. Stramel transferred from Wisconsin after struggles in his first two seasons. He lost a lot of his confidence and wasn’t playing to his identity. Then Stramel rejuvenated his career and status as a prospect at Michigan State, sparked by a reunion with his former USNTDP coach, Adam Nightingale.
Last season, on a line with prized Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone, Stramel racked up 19 goals, more than in his first three college seasons combined (17).
“Confidence is huge,” Stramel said. “There were points in my career, especially early in college, where I didn’t have a lot of it and it hindered my game. I regained that at Michigan State and was bringing it every night. Hopefully that’s something I can bring here.”
Said Bombardir: “He’s a different player, a different person than he was.”
Stramel spent most of the summer in Minnesota, first rehabbing his injury and working out. He had a three-week stint back at Michigan State skating with the Spartans before he joined the Wild’s captains’ practice workouts over the past couple of weeks. Stramel probably would have gotten into an AHL or NHL game in the spring if he hadn’t gotten hurt, so any exposure around the NHL group helps.
Bombardir has seen a different mentality with Stramel lead to a quicker game.
“He’s moving faster, there’s more confidence,” Bombardir said. “He’s always been able to skate, especially straight-ahead speed is phenomenal. He should use that to his advantage. That’s going to be a big key to have an impact early. He should be using that speed and that size, getting in on guys, forcing plays, being hard on the forecheck just to build the rest of his game.”
Said Stramel: “I think that makes me a better player when I play with an edge and play kind of mean almost. I’m going to bring that as much as I can — I feel like it helps me.”
Walz said he spoke with Stramel about faceoffs and other small things that can help a player have a longer career. If Stramel has to start in AHL Iowa, there’s no shame in that, so Walz said Stramel shouldn’t feel too much pressure — “just show them how good you are.”
The Wild’s roster has no shortage of centers, from Ryan Hartman to Joel Eriksson Ek to Danila Yurov, Michael McCarron, Nico Sturm, Nick Foligno. There’s a lot of experience and some proud guys who aren’t ready to cede their spot to a rookie.
“NHL main camp is a different animal,” Bombardir said. “The NHLers show up, and they’re not giving you their jobs. There’s so much at stake for them. It’ll be a good test (for Stramel) and the rest of the guys.”
