Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Red Wings newest second line center? Darren Helm

Canucks Red Wings Hockey

Detroit Red Wings center Darren Helm celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Detroit, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

AP

You’d think after signing Stephen Weiss in the offseason, the Detroit Red Wings questions about who would be their second line center would be through.

Instead, Weiss has struggled and is now out with a groin issue and his most recent heir-apparent on the second line, Johan Franzen, is hurting as well.

Who’s next to give the second line a go Saturday night against Tampa Bay? According to George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press it’s Darren Helm.

While Helm will start on the second line, Helm is playing in just his fourth game of the season and not quite ready for the minutes playing that line calls for.

“Is he going to play 18-plus minutes? No,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “We’ll have to have committee.”

That committee will involve the likes of Joakim Andersson and Luke Glendening helping split time up the middle. At least there’s always Pavel Datsyuk to make sure the first line can do their thing.

Follow @JoeYerdonPHT