DETROIT – It's going to be at least another week or two until Darren Helm is healthy enough to return to the Detroit Red Wings lineup.

Heck, it might be even longer. Back injuries can be tricky.

But after battling injuries for almost a year now, things might finally be looking up for Helm. He not only practiced with the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday for the first time in more than a month, he'll also be joining them for the three-game western road trip that begins tonight in Calgary.

Helm probably won't play when the Red Wings visit Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver this week but simply being part of the club's traveling party is great therapy.

"It'll be nice to be on the road," Helm said. "Get back on a plane, dinner, share some time with the guys. It was nice when I was in Columbus, got to skate with a few of the guys that were injured or not playing and it was nice being on the plane and just going out to dinner. It's been awhile and I miss it. It will be good for my body and mind.

"I've been so cut off this year. It has been hard not being part of the team. Guys have been good, keeping me a part of things, but it's not the same when you're not out on the ice. Just joking around, shooting the puck around after, having lots of fun after the actual practice."

Helm's injury problems began almost a year ago.

He sprained the MCL in his left knee March 17 and didn't return until April 12, when the Red Wings opened the playoffs in Nashville.

Helm lasted six shifts and saw barely three minutes of ice time before going down again, this time with lacerated tendons in his forearm that required surgery and ended his season.

This season, Helm has appeared on one game because of the back injury.

He tweaked his back while working out before training camp and made his season debut Jan. 25 in a 5-3 victory over Minnesota before experiencing more problems. So it was back to the sidelines while doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with his back.

It wasn't until he visited a back specialist in New York that a small tear was discovered in one of his discs.

Helm began skating by himself last week and finally joined the Red Wings for practice Tuesday.

"I felt pretty good," said Helm, a third-line center whose speed and energy have been missed by the Red Wings. "There are still a few things I want to overcome. I really don't want to feel any pain after skates, the next morning. It feels good, but there are still a few things I need to do.

"We're coming up to a year and I've only played 13 minutes of hockey. I'm a little rusty out there, I kind of felt it today, just handling the puck and kind of getting timing right. I don't think my legs will take as long as I think, but timing will and just playing the game I want to play. It'll take a while for me to get back to where I want to be at.

"Today was the first day I've been on with the team in five or six weeks. It's definitely nice to be out there. I can kind of see the end coming close."

Helm said next Wednesday's home game against Minnesota was originally the target date for his return but he doesn't want to take any chances after sitting out so long. He wants to make sure his back is 100 percent healthy before he steps onto the ice in a game.

He also wants to be mentally ready.

"I want to make sure there are no issues with that, with my mind," he said. "I want to make sure when I'm out there that's the furthest thing from my thoughts. I want to be as healthy as I can before I get back out there and not a thought in my mind about it.

"I got a little tired out on the ice. We've come so far to have a little setback here. We're definitely taking it slow and smart and making sure we do this right. I will have missed almost a full year. You can't just miss a year of hockey, step back into things and be the way you were.

"There's a lot of things I've got to get prepared for. The mental part of the game is really going to be important for me. Just focusing, the pregame preparation, it's going to take a while to get back to where I need to be."

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