DETROIT -- Darren Helm, a fourth-line center valued for his speed, energy and penalty-killing ability, has signed a two-year contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings.

The 23-year-old, who was a restricted free agent, will earn $825,000 this season and $1 million in 2011-12 for a salary-cap figure of $912,000.

"He's been a real good role player,'' Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "He chips in some goals, he kills penalties. He has a lot of speed and energy and is physical. Because of that, he gets in on the forecheck.

"We hope his career continues to improve going forward.''

The grinder Helm (5-foot-11, 195 pounds), who has been likened to longtime Red Wing Kris Draper because of his skating and forechecking, has shown the ability to contribute some offense. He had 11 goals and 13 assists in 75 games last season, his first full year in the NHL.

Helm has 11 goals and 14 assists in 98 games over parts of three seasons in addition to seven goals and three assists in 53 playoff games during that time. He was the club's fifth pick in the 2005 entry draft (fifth round, 132nd overall).

"One area he's improving in is faceoffs (he won 51.1 percent of his draws),'' Holland said. "When you're up against six-, eight-, 10-year pros who get a lot of respect from linesmen, it's tough. But as the year wore on, he got better on the draw.''

The Red Wings have nearly completed their offseason player moves. They are expected to announce the

during a news conference Friday at Joe Louis Arena. They also are close to signing forward Justin Abdelkader.

"We (he and Abdelkader's agent) haven't talked in a week to 10 days, but we had some good conversations before that,'' Holland said. "I don't see it taking a lot of time.''

Helm and Abdelkader's contracts were put on hold until after Modano made his decision.

The Red Wings have 22 players signed (13 forwards, seven defensemen, two goaltenders) for a salary cap hit of $57.34 million. That does not include Modano, whose salary is expected to be about $1.25 million, and Abdelkader, whose cap hit likely will be slightly less than Helm's.

Detroit is about $2 million under the $59.4 million cap. The team will clear some space by moving a forward (possibly Mattias Ritola and his $516,000 cap hit) and perhaps defenseman Derek Meech ($500,000) before the start of the season.

Clubs can go as much as 10 percent over the cap until the start of the season.