Detroit Red Wings call up Taro Hirose as depth addition from Griffins

The Detroit Red Wings continue to deal with some injuries. The 2022-23 season continues to move along slowly as the finish line gets closer and closer. The latest injury is to forward Filip Zadina, which prompts some decisions from the Red Wings brass.

He has sustained a lower-body injury and is unlikely to return to the Detroit Red Wings roster during the home stretch. This means the Red Wings will have to turn to other forwards to help bridge the gaps in their forward core.

The team has recently agreed to contracts with forward Maco Kasper and Carter Mazur, bringing them into the organization on entry-level contracts. The Red Wings also had to recall forward Taro Hirose on an emergency basis.

He joined the Red Wings’ defense core against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night. The 25-year-old forward is a product of the Michigan State Spartans hockey program and has been with the team for the last five seasons.

Detroit Red Wings call up forward Taro Hirose.

A few years ago, you can find me on Octopus Thrower in my early Red Wings blogging days, hinting at the idea that Taro Hirose would be a future second-line winger. As Co-Expert Bob Heyrman frequently reminds me, I was a bit off on that.

But, with fandom over Hirose after being so high on him years back, I’ve been brought back down to earth on the Red Wings forward. He’s been solid with the Grand Rapids Griffins and has become a solid fringy AHL/NHL player who is serviceable as forward depth for the Red Wings organization.

In 2022-23, Hirose has not yet logged a game with the Red Wings but has played 64 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins at the AHL level. He has 15 goals and 39 assists for 54 total points. He may get a chance to slot into a few games and join the Red Wings before the season ends.

While he’s not the amazing and future all-star prospect I plugged him to be back in 2019, he’s become a serviceable depth addition who can join the NHL club as needed as the extra forward. We all swing and miss on prospects sometimes; cold takes are bound to happen.

But at least Hirose has settled in with the organization and made a career out of it. He’s been with the organization for five seasons between the AHL and NHL. He has played in 57 total NHL games with four goals and 16 assists for 20 total points.

Nothing that’s blowing the doors off or earning him a full-time look, but enough to keep him around and bring him up as needed. He’s been solid in the minors and likely will stick around in that role as long as Steve Yzerman allows.