The Minnesota Wild didn't make the huge trade deadline move that everyone expected, but that's not without trying. Ultimately, general manager Bill Guerin decided to pursue players that didn't have high asking prices attached to them. The Wild were linked heavily to New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck, but no deal came to fruition. Given Guerin picked him for Team USA, where they won the gold medal.
In reports leading up to the deadline, the belief was that the Wild were offering prospect Charlie Stramel as the centerpiece of a trade package for Trocheck. But Drury had a high asking price, looking for more for his veteran center. But new reporting suggests that Guerin wasn't too keen on giving up Stramel so easily.
In the latest edition of his 32 Thoughts column, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman says that the Wild weren't going to give up Stramel so easily in trade talks at the deadline.
"Minnesota was more judicious about dealing Charlie Stramel than we thought. That isn’t to say they didn’t offer to include him in something big, but the Wild were very particular about what they’d consider. It wasn’t an automatic," writes Friedman.
Wild reportedly were apprehensive about dealing Charlie Stramel in potential deadline trades
This comes after which at the deadline, the belief was that he would be part of a potential trade to the Rangers for Trocheck. But Rangers general manager Chris Drury was looking for more in return for Trocheck. With Guerin unwilling to trade away Danila Yurov as a potential sweetener in a deal, he eventually ended his pursuit of Trocheck and took the cheaper trade deadline approach.
Stramel is, as of now, one of their top young players in the organization, especially after Guerin traded away Zeev Buium, Marcos Rossi, and Liam Ohgren to the Vancouver Canucks in the blockbuster Quinn Hughes deal. Given that, they don't exactly have the deepest pool of young talent to use for future trades. That explains why Guerin was apprehensive about dealing Stramel.
Stramel is in the midst of his senior year at Michigan State. This year, Stramel recorded 19 goals, 25 assists, and a +30 plus/minus ratio in 35 games. For his play this season, Stramel was recently named a semifinalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the top player in all of college hockey.
Once this season is over, it's expected that Stramel will officially sign with the Wild. It will then remain to be seen if Guerin is enticed to trade him in the future for a potential superstar.