Detroit should get a big piece of the lineup back this week when it takes on the Panthers in Sunrise -- which will make the Wings about as healthy as they’ve been in recent memory.
Darren Helm, who’s missed the last seven games with an oblique strain, will reportedly draw back in for the Wings when they play Florida on Thursday, per MLive. The 28-year-old hasn’t played since Feb. 28 -- Detroit has gone 3-4-0 without him -- and should provide an immediate spark, given his skating ability and good offensive punch.
Helm sits sixth on the team in goals this year, with a personal high of 13, and his 29 points are three off the career-best 32 he posted during the 2010-11 campaign.
Assuming Helm draws back in Thursday, Detroit will be icing one of its healthiest lineups in recent memory. It would leave just three players on the shelf: Alexey Marchenko, a defenseman that’s only appeared in 12 games this year; backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who’s only played seven and Johan Franzen, who’s missed extensive time this season with a concussion.