LW Taro Hirose (2014 undrafted; signed by DET)

[Artorius Horus T]

I know that he has been mentioned 2 times in the TOP POTENTIAL UFA NCAA PROSPECTS PART 2 thread
but, because he doesn't have a thread of his own (which i think he deserves one) i just might and create one.

5 foot 10 | 165 pounds, from Calgary,AB
LW, shoots left | 22 yrs old

Taro has played for, i presume a very ***** team in the NCAA past 2 seasons + this season
led the team in scoring last season, 42 points in 36 games, leads the team scoring this season
with 26 points in just 16 games.

Top 6:
1. Taro Hirose 7+19=26 +10
2. Patrick Khodorenko 11+5=16 +9
3. Mitch Lewandowski 5+11=16 +5
4. Dennis Cesana 1+7=8 +1
5. Jerad Roseburg 2+4=6 -1
6. Cody Milan 2+4=6 -5

Has been 1.00-1.82 ppg player everywhere he has played, but never gotten any interest
by CHL teams nor NHL teams, no brainer that after this NCAA season he gets a NHL contract
if GM's and scouts are not completely blind.

Here is what HFBoards user TheGhost had to say about him

" I'm a season ticket holder with BCHL Salmon Arm, and I saw him a lot when he played here. He has incredible hands and passing ability, stylistically very similar to Datsyuk. I thought he had a chance to be a late round pick (6th-7th round) in his draft year, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him get NHL interest when his college season is over, assuming teams aren't scared away by his lack of size. "

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Click to read more...

 

[Frk It]

Red Wings invited him to their development camp, so there has been at least some interest from NHL teams.

 

[57special]

That first line with Khodorenko, Hirose, and (Lewandowski?) is really good. Tons of skill.

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

This kid is leading the NCAA in points/game. What are the reasons for him not being drafted so far? He is on the small side but that hasn’t stopped other players his size from being taken.

 

[Bonin21]

He hasn't been eligible for the draft since he was in juniors. He would have been drafted after every one of his college seasons if eligible.

 

[Dr Pepper]

He hasn't been eligible for the draft since he was in juniors. He would have been drafted after every one of his college seasons if eligible.

What's the reasoning for this? Many have been drafted out of the BCHL, including Jamie Benn. Not sure how Hirose jumping to the NCAA revokes his draft eligibility.

 

[Bonin21]

What's the reasoning for this? Many have been drafted out of the BCHL, including Jamie Benn. Not sure how Hirose jumping to the NCAA revokes his draft eligibility.

Nothing to do with NCAA. He turned 21 in the summer after his freshman year.

Teams didn't see enough when he was in juniors for a draft pick. That was a long time ago.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Nothing to do with NCAA. He turned 21 in the summer after his freshman year.

Teams didn't see enough when he was in juniors for a draft pick. That was a long time ago.

Oh, ok it's just an age cutoff then. I was thinking you were saying the league he was playing in made him ineligible.

I'm sure some team will take a flier on him going into next season, if he keeps it up. Dallas just signed Tye Felhaber this week out of the OHL, another undrafted overager.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Supposedly close to signing with Detroit

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Seems like alot of these top NCAA undrafted guys that get a ton of hype always end up being quite underwhelming. Im sure some players turn into something but just seems like its never as good as people hope

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Seems like alot of these top NCAA undrafted guys that get a ton of hype always end up being quite underwhelming. Im sure some players turn into something but just seems like its never as good as people hope

I don’t think anyone is expecting an all star. Maybe he flames out and is just a life long AHLer, but no reason to not take a flyer. Even if he has similar production to a Jimmy Vesey that’s a huge win.

 

[Dodospice]

Seems like alot of these top NCAA undrafted guys that get a ton of hype always end up being quite underwhelming. Im sure some players turn into something but just seems like its never as good as people hope

Tyler Bozak and Torey Krug are the best undrafted college free agents, majority of them turn into nothing.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Doesn't do a lot for me, personally...not that I've studied him, because he just slightly off my radar (he's not draft eligible, of course). Smart player, ok skill level, savvy passer, fine skater...but there's not a lot of next level skill there. I don't think he has the skill level that can beat players one on one at the next level...I think it's just open-space skill, I think he has some trouble maintaining control of the puck outside the plane of his feet or his shoulders...I think he's a little passive on a lot of plays too, but maybe that changes when he realizes there's only 7 shifts for him in a night instead of 15...

I wish him well, it's a found wallet for Detroit...whether the former owner cancelled the credit cards or not is another story...

 

[JustJokinenAround]

Tyler Bozak and Torey Krug are the best undrafted college free agents, majority of them turn into nothing.

thats the absolute best case scenario. i agree most of the time its a lot of hype over nothing, but they are free assets.

 

[turkeyslurpees]

Im so stoked even though I've hated this kid for the past 2 years. Can't wait to see him in red!

 

[Szechwan]

Tanev was a free agent signing out of college too.

Interested to see what this Hirose kid can do before the end of the season, I assume the plan is for him to suit up a few games.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Tyler Bozak and Torey Krug are the best undrafted college free agents, majority of them turn into nothing.

If you are talking guys still in the NHL, then that's probably right. But guys like Martin St. Louis, Ed Belfour, Adam Oates, Dino Ciccarelli, Brian Rafalski, Dan Boyle, are a sample of guys that were superior to those two.

EDIT: I'm not suggesting that any of the current crop of undrafted UFAs will achieve that status though. Just commenting that there were a lot of guys much better than Krug and Bozak.

 

[Dodospice]

thats the absolute best case scenario. i agree most of the time its a lot of hype over nothing, but they are free assets.

I have no issue with signing them, free assets are free assets and you may as well roll the dice on them but odds are you’re not getting anything more then an AHL player or low end NHLer. There’s a lot of hype on these guys but you can get just as good of prospects from the CHL as undrafted 20’s or 23/24 year old CIS players.

 

[Dodospice]

If you are talking guys still in the NHL, then that's probably right. But guys think Martin St. Louis, Ed Belfour, Adam Oates, Dino Ciccarelli, Brian Rafalski, Dan Boyle, are a sample of guys that were superior to those two.

Yeah but the games changed so much now, you can’t really compare college free agents then to college free agents post lockout. We’re almost nearing 15 years since the lockout and there’s nothing of substance outside of those 2 really.

There’s been other solid players but they’re the best ones, you aren’t going to pull the same types of free agents out of the NCAA now that you did back then.

 

[Hockey Know it all]

Tanev was a free agent signing out of college too.

Interested to see what this Hirose kid can do before the end of the season, I assume the plan is for him to suit up a few games.

Per some tweets,
Holland said kuffner and Hirose will stay up all year with the wings.

 

[Hockey Know it all]

I have no issue with signing them, free assets are free assets and you may as well roll the dice on them but odds are you’re not getting anything more then an AHL player or low end NHLer. There’s a lot of hype on these guys but you can get just as good of prospects from the CHL as undrafted 20’s or 23/24 year old CIS players.

By the way. I doubt your last sentence, mainly the CIS part.

That’s false.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Yeah but the games changed so much now, you can’t really compare college free agents then to college free agents post lockout. We’re almost nearing 15 years since the lockout and there’s nothing of substance outside of those 2 really.

There’s been other solid players but they’re the best ones, you aren’t going to pull the same types of free agents out of the NCAA now that you did back then.

Oh, definitely true. I wasn't trying to argue otherwise, just pointing out that those 2 guys weren't the "best" if looking at all time.

 

[Dodospice]

By the way. I doubt your last sentence, mainly the CIS part.

That’s false.

The majority of these players are going to be career AHLers. The only reason the majority of these guys get signed and the CIS ones don’t is because the NCAA players have an “unknown” aspect to them. Most of the CIS players, have been watched since they were 16, their potential is basically known, where as the NCAA guys are mostly late bloomers. You don’t have to look very far to find examples of CIS players that are just as good as a lot of these hyped up NCAA prospects.

 

[Dodospice]

Oh, definitely true. I wasn't trying to argue otherwise, just pointing out that those 2 guys weren't the "best" if looking at all time.

I meant best since the lockout, or since college free agents started to get this much hype.

 

[Love]

Closest thing to Taro Tsujimoto we’ll ever see in the NHL.