Minnesota has locked up one of its restricted free agents, announcing that they’ve re-signed winger Kyle Rau to a two-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay $700K in the NHL and $275K at the minor league level in each season. He would have been eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency as of this coming Sunday.
The 25-year-old spent most of 2017-18 at the minor league level where he collected 23 goals and 27 assists in 69 games to rank third on the team in scoring. He also got into three regular season games with the Wild where he collected an assist while suiting up in one postseason contest as well.
Rau was a third-round pick (91st overall) of the Panthers back in 2011 and the majority of his NHL experience has come with them. He played in 33 games with Florida over parts of two seasons before signing with Minnesota as an unrestricted free agent last July. He will likely battle for an end-of-roster spot with the Wild in training camp and if he doesn’t crack their roster, he will become one of their first call-ups when injuries strike next season.