Taro Hirose

A highly intelligent prospect with supreme vision, Hirose joined the Red Wings directly out of Michigan State University last season, dropping jaws with a goal and six assists over his first 10 NHL games. His entire stint with the top-level club was spent alongside burgeoning center-winger Andreas Athanasiou in addition to brawny net-front resident Anthony Mantha. However, Detroit's free-agent acquisition of Valtteri Filppula sends Athanasiou back to the wing and increases the likelihood that Hirose will occasionally be rendered a spare forward at hockey's highest level -- assuming the waiver-exempt prospect breaks camp with the Wings. Overall, Hirose is a shrewd pick for any fantasy owner that can patiently wait to see if he's the real deal.