Detroit Red Wings lose Darren Helm (upper body injury) for 'some time'

Helene St. James | Detroit Free Press

NEWARK, N.J. — The Detroit Red Wings will be without one of their top penalty killers after losing Darren Helm to injury.

Helm appeared to hurt his right arm on a hit from Devils forward Travis Zajac in the first period of Saturday’s 3-2 overtime victory at Prudential Center. Coach Jeff Blashill said Helm will be “some time,” and that a better time frame should be known Monday. The Wings called it an upper body injury.

“It was an unfortunate play,’ Dylan Larkin said. “I don’t think it was a dirty play or anything. It was a weird that happened where he went down on the ice. It hurts. He’s such a consistent player for us, penalty kills and forechecks hard, and someone I love playing with.”

Helm has six points in 19 games. He has been a nice fit on Dylan Larkin’s line, helping check opposing top lines. Helm is a go-to guy on the penalty kill, where he averages 2:03 minutes per game.

“He’s been a huge part of this team for a long time,” Luke Glendening said. “To see him get hurt again is devastating.”

Helm, 31, has been hampered by extensive injuries in his career – he missed 32 games in 2016-17, and played just one game in the 2013 lockout-shortened season.

Jacob de la Rose, who had been out with an upper body injury, played Saturday, and Wade Megan is available if the Wings don’t decide to call up someone else. Don’t look for 2018 first-round pick Filip Zadina to get a call; Blashill said earlier this week Zadina is not yet NHL ready.

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



