Helene St. James

Detroit Free Press

Through determination and speed, Darren Helm worked his way from grinder to Pavel Datsyuk’s chosen wingman.

Helm has been a resourceful asset for the Detroit Red Wings since he made his debut in 2008, joining them late in the season and helping them win the Stanley Cup that spring. Now as the Wings stand to undergo change and Helm stands to become an unrestricted free agent, the future is uncertain.

General manager Ken Holland has said he likes Helm, but both sides have issues to consider before going forward with contract talks.

Asked after the 2015-16 Wings met one last time at Joe Louis Arena earlier this week, Helm spoke sentimentally about what might happen this summer.

“Detroit is a place I love playing and I would love to come back,” he said.

At the same time, his role this season was so inconsistent, he’d like reassurance before deciding whether to stay.

He spent a good deal of time playing next to Datsyuk, who coach Jeff Blashill said requested Helm as a winger because of Helm’s speed, willingness to retrieve the puck, and go to the net. At other stretches, Helm was limited to the fourth line. After thriving in the last season under Mike Babcock and producing a career-best 33 points in 75 games, Helm, 29, had 26 points in 77 games this past season.

“It was definitely a different year for myself,” Helm said. “I’ll need to talk to Blash & Kenny and see where everything is headed, see where I see myself fitting into this organization and where they see me fitting into this organization. Then I’ll have to make some tough decisions.

“I want to win. I don’t really mind playing in the bottom lines as long as there is that respect factor. You’re getting opportunities in different situations. If it looks like that is the case, I’ll get to play in those situations that I feel I can play in, then I’ll be happy. If not, if they tell me right away it’s not going to happen, I might not want to stay.”

On the Wings’ side, they need to assess whether there’s room for Helm on next season’s roster. Datsyuk’s likely departure creates an opening, but the Wings have young players ready to challenge for bigger roles in Detroit. Andreas Athanasiou brings tremendous speed and could develop into a similar type player — reliable defensively and one whose quickness adds dimension on penalty kills.

After another disappointing finish to the season, the Wings are looking to make changes. Helm has been valuable, but both sides need to evaluate whether it makes sense to continue to the relationship.

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.

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