DETROIT – Sitting in the stands at Joe Louis Arena, watching most of his team take part in an informal practice Tuesday, Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock noticed Darren Helm was missing.

But Babcock wasn't alarmed. Helm, who has been battling back issues for the past eight months, has been skating regularly for a couple of weeks. Babcock said he “absolutely'' expects the third-line center to be ready for the start of training camp, Sept. 12 at Centre I.C.E. in Traverse City.

“I didn't see him today, so he must be doing really good,'' Babcock said. “He had another day off, I would assume. Things are going good for him. He must be ready to go.''

Helm said last week he feels better and is making progress but isn't sure if he'll be ready for the start of the regular season Oct. 2 vs. Buffalo. His next big test is contact and physical play during camp, though the Red Wings will ease him into that. Exhibition games will determine whether he is ready for the start of the season.

Once Helm returns, it will take some time to get up to speed, since he played only one game in 2013 and missed the final 10 games and most of the playoffs in 2011-12.

“It's going to he a half-year and it's going to take him some time to be Darren Helm, just strength-wise,'' Babcock said. “There's no way you can be who you are when you've been off this much. But he's got to feel good about himself.

“The times I talked to him this summer he feels good and is getting better.''

The five centers

Babcock, on his centers: “My centers look today: (Pavel) Datsyuk, (Stephen) Weiss, (Cory) Emmerton, Helm and (Joakim) Andersson. Riley Sheahan would be the sixth. (Luke) Glendening is a center, too, but we'll play him on the wall.''

That list wasn't completely in order. After Datsyuk and Weiss, Helm will be the third-line center if he's healthy, followed by Andersson and Emmerton.

Sheahan and Glendening will start the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Babcock said of Glendening, "He's a good player. He's going to play here sometime. Our farm team really helped us last year. We feel we're in a good situation.''

Numbers game

If everyone is healthy, the Red Wings will have 25 players – two over the roster limit – and be about $637,000 over the salary cap.

“It'll sort itself out here pretty quick,'' Babcock said. “I think every player on this team is an NHL player. The trimming I have to do or Kenny (general manager Holland) has to do is going to be done by (the players), not by us. We're just going to watch each day.''