Minnesota Wild face deadline dilemma as Charlie Stramel’s stock soars; Marc‑Andre Fleury back at practice
minnesota wild decision-makers head into the March 3 trade deadline with a sharper problem than expected: Charlie Stramel’s recent surge in college hockey has increased his value just as the team weighs roster moves, and the club leaned on Marc‑Andre Fleury as an emergency practice goalie while several regulars were at the Olympics.
Minnesota Wild weigh Stramel’s value at the March 3 deadline
On Thursday, four days before the Olympic trade freeze lifts, Charlie Stramel produced a goal and an assist in Michigan State’s 4-2 win over Notre Dame, extending his goal streak to four games and his point streak to six. That night left him with 19 goals and 40 points for the season, figures that rank seventh and sixth in the NCAA respectively and make him the first 40-point forward of any collegiate Wild draftee since Erik Haula in 2012-13.
The timing matters for the March 3 trade deadline. The franchise is balancing a push to win now against preserving draft and prospect capital, and Stramel — the Wild’s 2023 first-round pick — sits squarely in that debate. The club has already moved Marco Rossi in a trade for Quinn Hughes, and keeping young center Danila Yurov and goalie Jesper Wallstedt are priorities mentioned in the club’s internal calculus; that reality has left Stramel as a plausible asset to trade for an upgrade.
Marc‑Andre Fleury fills an emergency role while Olympians finish
With Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt in Milan for the Winter Olympics, the Wild brought Marc‑Andre Fleury onto the ice on Feb. 18 at Tria Rink as an emergency backup goalie. Fleury, a 41-year-old retired netminder who serves as a player development advisor, skated, stretched and took his place in the cage during the team’s first practice after a two-week layoff.
Adam Carlson joined Fleury as an additional practice tender. Wild associate head coach Jack Capuano said, “Anytime he’s around, the mood’s great, ” and the early drills — including 2-on-1s — produced high-energy moments: Vladimir Tarasenko scored on Fleury, Marcus Foligno and Vinnie Hinostroza combined on a goal that drew game-style celebration, and Foligno joked that skating against Fleury had built his confidence.
Olympic exits and the short-term roster picture
Team USA’s 2-1 quarterfinal win over Sweden ended the Olympic runs of the Wild’s four Sweden-based players: center Joel Eriksson Ek, winger Marcus Johansson, and goalies Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt. Capuano said those players will not be rushed back — they’ll get “a few days” before returning to practice — and the club used Fleury’s presence to keep practice competitive as the NHL schedule resumes.
The immediate consequence is clear: the team hit the ice with temporary depth solutions while key players finish Olympic duty, and front-office discussions about trading or holding prospects like Stramel now intersect with a compressed calendar leading to March 3.
Looking ahead, the Wild’s regular-season schedule resumes on Feb. 26 at Colorado, a club described as leading the NHL with 83 points in the standings, and Minnesota’s next major roster deadline is March 3. Team officials have signaled they will give returning Olympians time to rest before they rejoin practice, and the front office must finalize any trade decisions before the March 3 cutoff.
