Rau, 28, recorded two assists, 23 hits and 15 blocked shots in 14 games with Minnesota last season. He also appeared in one Stanley Cup Playoff game. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound native of Eden Prairie, Minn., recorded 43 points (14-29=43), six penalty minutes (PIM), four power-play goals (PPG), one game-winning goal (GWG) and 135 shots in 51 games with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2019-20. Rau ranked third on the team in assists, fourth in points, T-4th in PPG and fifth in goals and shots. He set a career-best, nine-game point streak from Nov. 16-Dec. 27 (2-14=16).
Rau owns seven points (2-5=7), 15 PIM, 69 hits and 23 blocked shots in 56 career NHL games in five seasons with Florida and Minnesota. He has also appeared in two Stanley Cup Playoff contests with the Wild. Rau owns 204 points (92-112=204), 102 PIM, 32 PPG, five shorthanded goals (SHG), eight GWG and 768 shots in 307 career AHL contests in six seasons with San Antonio, Portland, Springfield and Iowa. He was selected by Florida in the third round (91st overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft and made his NHL debut with the Panthers on Feb. 20, 2016 vs. Winnipeg. Rau signed as a free agent with Minnesota on July 1, 2017 and tallied an assist in his Wild debut on Jan. 20, 2018 vs. Tampa Bay. His brother, Chad, skated in nine games with Minnesota in 2011-12 to mark the first set of brothers to wear a Wild sweater.
He totaled 164 points (67-97=164) and 85 PIM in 160 games during four seasons at the University of Minnesota (2011-15). Rau collected 69 points (33-36=69) in 25 games during his senior season at Eden Prairie High School in 2010-11. He helped Eden Prairie win the Minnesota State High School League Hockey Championship and was named the 2011 Mr. Hockey Award Winner.
