NASHVILLE – Charlie Strammell went to a few wild games every year growing up in Rosemount, considered Zach Parise his favorite player and even had some Wild jerseys.

But the one he received on Wednesday night was different.

That was his name on the back.

“We’ve probably got him a little bit better now,” said general manager Bill Guerin.

The Wild drafted Stramel 21st overall during the NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, making him the third Minnesota drafted by the team in the first round.

“He’s obviously elated,” Stramell said. “There is no better feeling than being picked up by my hometown team. I always hoped the wild would pick me up. It was always in the back of my head.

“Seeing this dream come true is definitely a blessing.”

Stramel was the Wild’s target all along.

Not only does he fill a positional need and line up center, but Stramel is sized (6 ft 3 in, 222 lbs.) and is the right shot. The Wild also valued his personality and competitiveness and felt compelled to draft him when they were on the clock, even though they had talked to a few teams about going through the first round; They did not consider re-trading.

Rounds 2-7 of the draft on Thursday. Wild currently has five other draft picks, starting with numbers 53 and 64 in the second round.

“when [Stramel] He was there and we were able to take him on, and we were so happy about that,” Guerin said, “so we made the choice.” “

A powerful 200-foot forward who’s also an agile playmaker, Stramel is coming off his freshman season at Wisconsin scoring five goals and seven assists in 33 games — something the Wild admitted was a tough season for the 18-year-old after his stint with a development program. United States National Team.

“It was a transition to college hockey playing against older players and bigger players, and offensive production didn’t happen,” said Wild director of scouting Judd Brackett. “He’s not the first player to hit the booth as a freshman.”

But the Wild met Stramel throughout the year and in the NHL combine earlier this month where he tested “very well,” Guerin said.

The team’s brass has also been scouting Stramel for three years, which is also why they felt confident in the selection. Brackett named Stramel a top 10 talent at one point. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 30th among North American skaters.

“He’s someone who this season has been less than he expected,” Brackett explained. “He’s owned it. He’s talked about it and he’s talked about the changes he wants to make in his game and where he thinks he can make it and we believe in him.”

When he returns to Wisconsin next season, Stramel is looking to incorporate more physical fitness into his play.

“I think I moved away a little bit from that last year,” he said. “That’s a big focus for me to get back into people’s grills, start things up and the production side as well.”

During his final season with the United States Under-18 National Team, Stramel had 10 goals and 12 assists in 26 games. He has also represented the United States internationally, winning bronze at the World Junior Championships earlier this year.

“It’s very difficult to find a center of his size, ability to slide, grit, and jam,” said Brackett. “It fits a lot of our identity, and sometimes it takes a bit more edge than skill value.”

Before joining the NTDP, Stramel skated at Rosemount High.

His sister, Sophie, was a sophomore at Rosemount last season and scored a double overtime goal in the division finals to help the girls’ hockey team to a state championship. and their mother, Gretchen, coached Rosemount to the Class AA girls’ soccer title before retiring.

Stramel admitted that having the Wild draft him could mean extra pressure on him, “but at the end of the day, I think that’s a blessing,” he said.

Stramel, the 16th Minnesota native drafted by the Wild Wild, is the franchise’s first in the first round since Eden Prairie’s Nick Leddy finished 16th overall in 2009. Savage’s AJ Thelen was selected 12th in the year 2004.

But that’s the future Wild is focused on when it comes to Stramel.

“We’re focused on where this can go,” Brackett said. “We think the sky’s the limit for him.”