Nico Sturm sees superstar potential in the physical Wild prospect, comparing the youngster’s powerful skating and heavy shot to Vegas centerpiece Jack Eichel after an impressive preseason debut.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Charlie Stramel wasn’t thrilled with his performance in his first opportunity to pull on a Minnesota Wild sweater.
One of his veteran linemates, however, came away impressed enough to make quite the comparison.
Nico Sturm played alongside Stramel and Nick Foligno on Friday night and, when asked afterward about the 21-year-old Wild prospect, Sturm mentioned Vegas Golden Knights superstar Jack Eichel.
“Big, strong kid,” Sturm said of Stramel. “He’s got confidence. He wants the puck on his stick. He’s got a heavy shot. So, as he gets more comfortable, I think he’s going to be a really good player in this league, and I could see him playing a lot of different roles.”
Then came the eye-opening part.
“I actually think, like, the way he skates and his shot and stuff, he’s got a little bit of like a Jack Eichel in him,” Sturm said. “He reminds me a little bit of him, so he’s going to be a really good player in this league.”
That’s certainly lofty praise for Stramel, who is participating in his first NHL training camp after turning pro last season.
Stramel was more critical of his own performance.
“Yeah, no, for sure,” Stramel said when asked if it was an up-and-down game for him. “I don’t think it was my best personally, but all you can do is learn from that, watch film and try and get better for the next game.”
Despite that assessment, Wild coach John Hynes saw plenty to like.
“I think he did some good things,” Hynes said. “I think there are things that, like every player out there, I think there’s getting used to certain things. So to me, I thought he was physical. I thought he moved pretty well. He competed hard. He made some plays.”
Hynes also pointed to the variety of situations in which the Wild were able to use Stramel.
“You see him a little bit on the power play, five-on-five,” Hynes said. “I thought he did a nice job killing penalties. So I think there was lots of positives to his game.”
Stramel had a unique support system for his first preseason appearance. He was placed between Sturm and Foligno, giving him two experienced NHL veterans to lean on throughout the night.
“They were great,” Stramel said. “They were great to me all game and all day, just helping me get ready for it and giving me tips and tricks on the bench throughout the game, so really helpful and a lot of fun.”
The trio also offered the Wild plenty of flexibility. All three have experience playing down the middle and on the wing, something Sturm said made it easier considering Friday’s morning skate was the first time they had played together as a line.
“Everybody can take draws. Everybody can play center. Everybody can play wing,” Sturm said. “So just try to make it as easy as possible in these games. When this morning’s skate was the first time we’ve been on the line together, there’s only so much chemistry you can build in that short amount of time.”
For Stramel, simply putting on a Wild sweater for the first time carried some significance.
“Yeah, it was pretty cool,” Stramel said. “Pretty cool to get out there and play in front of those fans, and, you know, looking forward to hopefully getting more chances at it.”
Stramel isn’t pretending his first opportunity was perfect. He believes there is plenty to clean up before his next one.
But while the young center left the rink thinking about what he could have done better, one of his veteran linemates left talking about traits that reminded him of one of the NHL’s premier centers.
That’s not a bad review after Game 1.
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