TRAVERSE CITY – Detroit Red Wings center Darren Helm isn't sure if he will be on the ice at all during training camp due to his groin injury.

He said on Wednesday that he definitely won't be skating Thursday, when players take the ice for the first of four consecutive days of intrasquad scrimmages and practices at Centre I.C.E.

“I don’t think it’s in the cards right now,'' said Helm, who described his status as day-to-day. “Come down here, do my thing and see if I’m ready. I haven’t really been shown to be ready or proven to be ready yet.''

This latest setback – he hurt his groin last Friday – further delays when he can test his ailing back with physical contact.

“It’s going to be a couple of weeks where I’m not going to be able to get the physical contact or do stuff that I wanted to do,'' Helm said. “It’s kind of taken a back seat right now to this groin and (his back) feels all right right now.

“I've got to get (his groin) feeling good and then I’ve got to make sure my back is OK. I think we’re losing at least a week of contact and physical activity I wanted for my back at camp to get ready.''

Asked it appears he won't be ready to start the season on Oct. 2, Helm said, “I don’t know. I’m not worried about any timelines I just want to get better.''

He said he has dealt with groin issues a few years ago – “it was actually near the start of my debacle of my injuries the last two years. I don’t think I missed that much, maybe a couple of games, but I didn’t miss any ice time.''

Clubs are always cautious with groin injuries, which tend to linger.

“He's been off for a few days now; groins are 1-3 weeks, so we'll see in a few days,'' general manager Ken Holland said.

Helm was limited to one game last season due to lower back pain. He missed the final 10 games of the 2011-12 season due to a sprained knee. Then, in the playoff opener against Nashville, he had tendons severed in his forearm from a skate blade, ending his season.

“The way I look at it he hasn’t played in a year-and-a-half, basically,'' coach Mike Babcock said. “If we get him it’s a bonus.''

Holland said everyone else is ready to practice and scrimmage on Thursday.