Detroit’s Darren Helm played in just one game last season thanks to a nagging back injury. As the offseason rolls on, he’s working on getting back into shape and still getting healthy by working out at prospect camp this week.
As Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press says, the Wings are hoping he can return to form to help solidify their situation at center.
If Helm recovers from his injury — which numerous specialists have said is not structural — then the depth chart down the middle is easy enough to pen. It’ll be Pavel Datsyuk, Stephen Weiss, Helm and Joakim Andersson.
Andersson is a restricted free agent the Wings are slowly working on getting re-signed. Meanwhile, Detroit’s overabundance of forwards is making things a bit difficult.
Detroit can have Andersson take Helm’s spot on the third line and have Cory Emmerton center the fourth line, but with 16 forwards to deal with someone’s got to go. Helm’s questionable status is forcing GM Ken Holland to hang tight and figure things out.