The Wild Sarah McLellan of the Star Tribune Rau from AHL Iowa on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Rau has been productive in the minors this season, totaling 11 goals and 21 points in 36 contests. The Wild only had 12 healthy forward on their roster prior to Rau's promotion, so he'll round out the big club's depth up front for the foreseeable future.

Rau signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Wild on Saturday, Chris Long of KSTP-TV Sports reports. The 24-year-old center will make $700,000 in the NHL or $200,000 if he's assigned to AHL Iowa.

EDGE Analysis

Rau hails from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, so this will be a homecoming of sorts for the speedy pivot. He 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, this is a guy who added 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 in due time.

Rau was reassigned to AHL Springfield on Friday, George Richards of the Miami Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rau has been held without a point in his last 14 appearances in addition to being a healthy scratch six times since he last wrote his name on the scoresheet Nov. 15. Although the 24-year-old has only played in two minor-league games this season, he racked up 17 goals and 14 helpers with AHL Portland last year. A fantastic collegiate player, the University of Minnesota product has yet to put it all together at the professional level.

Rau earned his first career NHL point Sunday in a 5-2 win over the Red Wings. He received 10:07 of ice time.

EDGE Analysis

Playing in his third game of the season after sitting the last one out as a healthy scratch, the 24-year-old officially got onto an NHL scoresheet. A point-per-game player for four years at the University of Minnesota, the 2011 third-round pick put up 31 points in 63 AHL contests last season but put up a big fat goose egg in nine games with the Panthers. Now that Rau has gotten his first point off his shoulders, it'll be interesting to see how long it takes him to start flashing some of his offensive flair from his collegiate days in Sunrise.

Rau will not play Saturday afternoon against the Sabres, Joe Yerdon of NHL.com reports. He appears to be a healthy scratch.

EDGE Analysis

The Panthers wish to get Shawn Thornton into the lineup for the first time this season, and that leaves Rau on the bench after the diminutive center went minus-2 without so much as a shot in Thursday's loss to the Maple Leafs.

Rau will be in the lineup against the Avalanche on Sunday, David Dwork of CBS Miami reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jussi Jokinen has been ruled out for Sunday's contest with a minor knee injury, so Rau gets the nod in his stead. Scouts have raved about the 23-year-old's hockey smarts for some time, but it's worth noting that he struggled in a nine-game sampling of the NHL last season -- he was held pointless with a minus-1 rating in that span.

The Panthers recalled Rau from AHL Springfield on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Jussi Jokinen (knee) is considered questionable for Saturday's game against Colorado, so Rau will act as an insurane police in case Jokinen isn't able to go against the Avalanche. Rau was a decent contributor in the minors last season, totaling 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) over 63 games with AHL Portland, but failed to tally a single point in nine games with the Panthers in 2015-16.

Rau was reassigned to the Portland Pirates of the AHL on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Rau went pointless in the nine games he played during his recall, but showed some promise in the stint. Though undersized, Rau was able to score at least 40 points in each of his four seasons at the University of Minnesota (finishing with 164 points in 160 games) and could find a role as a scoring third-liner in the NHL before his career comes to an end.

Rau has been recalled from AHL Portland.

EDGE Analysis

Rau averaged more than a point per game between 2011-15 at the University of Minnesota, and he's dented the scoresheet to the tune of 17 goals and 10 assists in 48 games with Portland this campaign. While he doesn't have ideal size at 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds, Rau is a dual threat in that he can score and set up goals all the same. However, he has yet to debut in the NHL and likely won't be much of a factor this season, given the lack of experience.

Rau scored a goal in the third period in his first professional game for the AHL San Antonio Rampage. Rau always had a knack for scoring while playing for the University of Minnesota, so it should come of little surprise that the diminutive center wasted no time in scoring his first professional goal. Rau has plenty of upside in dynasty leagues, but his small stature and crowded field of centers in the Panthers' organization makes him a very long-term play.