Born and raised in Minnesota, Schroeder spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program before he joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) for two seasons, being named WCHA Rookie of the Year in 2009. He has also played for the American national junior ice hockey team and appeared in three World Junior Championships, where he set records for most career assists and points by an American. Schroeder was ranked as the fifth best North American skater heading into the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and was drafted 22nd overall by the Vancouver Canucks after concerns about his size led to several teams to pass on him. Schroeder then spent several years playing with the Canucks minor league affiliates in the American Hockey League (AHL) before joining the Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2013. He played parts of two seasons with the Canucks, who decided not to re-sign Schroeder in 2014; he then joined the Minnesota Wild.