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Let's Meet: Chad Rau

One up, one down.

You may know the name Rau. If you are a hockey fan in Minnesota, and don't know the name Rau, you may not be paying close enough attention. Chad, and his brother Kyle, were both leaders at Eden Prairie High School, one of the premier programs in the state. Cake eaters, both of them.

I kid.

Originally slected by the Maple Leafs, Chad Rau has been improving little by little throughout his career. After leaving Minnesota for college in Colorado, he signed two seasons ago with the Aeros, and looks to be acclimating to professional hockey fairly well. Is he the guy who is going to be a savior? Don't get your hopes up, but he is likely a serviceable thirs line forward with the ability to help fill in on the second.

All that really matters? He is Minnesotan, and will wear number 36. If you somehow want more, make the jump.

Star-divide

The Stats

The Experts

From the Wild:

Rau, 24 (1/18/87), has tallied 19 points (7-12=19) and a plus-4 rating in 38 games with Houston this season. The 5-foot-11, 184-pound native of Eden Prairie, Minn., has not appeared in an NHL game and will wear sweater #36 with Minnesota.

From T3I (last year):

Not much was expected from Rau last season. The youth spotlight was instead focused on Colton Gilies and Cody Almond. But Rau was one of the few Aeros to excel last season, and with a year of professional play under his belt, and with a new coach coming in to take command, Rau should excel once again.

From Ms. Conduct:

Rau's been pretty quit this season, but scored one if the prettiest goals of the season just Friday night. He has really soft hands and good awareness out there. I think of him as a bit Bouchardian, but taller. Not real physical but he can pull the occasional rabbit out of his helmet if he gets some space. It will be fun to see where and how well he plays up there.

The Video

Seems like he has a head on his shoulders, if nothing else.

He can hit an open net. That's something.

Where Will He Slot In?

As mentioned before the jump, he isn't a savior. If he were, he would already be up, right? Still, he can be an NHL forward if he plays his game the way he plays it in Houston. It's good to get him a chance to show if he has it or not. If he plays, look for him to be on the second line, with maybe some power play time. It just doesn't make much sense to bring him up with Ortmeyer and then stick them both on the fourth line.

We'll see, though.

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I'm interested to see who he skates with tonight.

Calling any of our lines right now, first, second, etc. really doesn’t mean anything. I wonder if Heatley has ever skated with a CC Tiger?

by cgp711 on Jan 21, 2012 1:43 PM CST reply actions  

This never ending cycle of career AHLers is frustrating

I realize they need to do something but argh! Just argh!! Make the pain stop.

Don't know what I'm fighting for, but I know what I'm fighting against

by PUTTINxONxTHExFOIL on Jan 21, 2012 6:00 PM CST via mobile reply actions  

At this point i would have just tanked the whole season

Rather than have that little taste of what this team can do when our heads are screwed on. Its embarassing.

Don't know what I'm fighting for, but I know what I'm fighting against

by PUTTINxONxTHExFOIL on Jan 21, 2012 6:04 PM CST via mobile up reply actions  

Not to nitpick or anything, but...

People from Edina are cake eaters, not Eden Prairie. But it’s acceptable to dislike both equally. :-)

by JTW on Jan 21, 2012 6:25 PM CST reply actions  

Edina is the classic cake eater city

Eden Prairie has been doing their best to take over as the new cake eaters though. At this point, they both are cake eaters.

by Joel Bertelsen on Jan 21, 2012 6:34 PM CST up reply actions  

We had a discussion here a year or more ago what constitutes "cake eater" territory

My contention was it was indeed Edina only, but the consensus ruled it is now anywhere starting from Edina and spreading southeast (save for when you officially reach “out state” territory I’m assuming).

Being from Minnesota, it would be rude to put something clever here.

by redheadzeb on Jan 21, 2012 7:58 PM CST up reply actions  

Oh ok

I’ve only been here for about 6 months or so. Gotta agree though, most of the SE suburbs are definitely cake eater territory.

I’m from Apple Valley, went to Eastview, so bordering on cake eater land as well.

by Joel Bertelsen on Jan 21, 2012 10:59 PM CST up reply actions  

Apple Valley is more of a Betty Crocker cake eater area. Ha!

Editor:Hockey Wilderness Swarm Beat Writer:In Lax We Trust Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN

Master of unsustainable passive regression.

by BReynolds on Jan 22, 2012 12:06 AM CST up reply actions  

Haha true!

Eastview seemed to get all the upper-middle class kids from Eagan and Apple Valley though. Still no Eden Prairie/Edina.

by Joel Bertelsen on Jan 22, 2012 1:12 AM CST up reply actions  

My sources have Duluth East as the original cake-eaters

You know you're a Wild fan if Spam Whoopie Gerald-buns comes up in conversation
Regressing all the way back to high school hockey.
Mikael Granlund = Suomi Savior

by JDesthubert on Jan 23, 2012 12:14 PM CST up reply actions  

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