Rau spent all of 2019-20 with AHL Iowa, where he had 14 goals and 43 points in 51 games. With the Wild letting go of many veterans, there's room for the 28-year-old Rau to potentially earn a full-time role with the big club in 2020-21. He only has five points in 42 NHL appearances over parts of four seasons, so he's far from a lock to make the Opening Night roster. Rau would likely skate in a bottom-six role if he does make the team, and it's hard to see him crack ing double digits in points, so virtually all fantasy managers can pass him by on draft day without concern.
A third-round pick in the 2011 draft, Rau has yet to play more than 24 NHL games in a season. He is coming off his best AHL campaign to date, however, racking up 23 goals and 50 points in 69 games for Iowa, and his slick skating and hockey IQ allow him to compensate for his lack of size. An impressive training camp could land Rau in a bottom-six role with the Wild to begin the season, but he'll likely spend another year as organizational depth and wait for a real chance to prove himself at the top level.
Rau wasn't given much of an opportunity in the NHL with the Panthers the past two seasons, scoring twice with a single assist over 33 games. Still, he scored 164 (67 goals, 97 assists) points for the University of Minnesota between 2011-15, so the potential is there for him to make an impact with the Wild.
Rau left the University of Minnesota as one of the most productive players in school history, an impressive accomplishment considering the program's storied history. In 160 games as a Gopher, Rau scored double-digit goals in every season and more than 20 assists each year. The former roommate of current Panther Nick Bjugstad, Rau’s diminutive stature at 5-foot-8 may prevent him from being a productive forward at the highest level. He'll likely spend the next couple of seasons in the AHL -- where he played seven games last season and scored two goals and an assist -- as he adjusts to the speed and size of players at the next level.
Rau will return to the University of Minnesota in 2013-14 for his junior season, so any fantasy impact he has will either be at the very end of the season or farther into the future. He has shown some potential in college though, racking up 83 points in 80 games over two years with the Gophers.
