Darren Helm got the reassurance he needed, which led to the peace of mind he craved.
He hits the ice next week for another training camp with the Detroit Red Wings, the result of a hectic few days in late June and the morning of July 1. Hours before he became an unrestricted free agent, he and the Wings agreed to a five-year, $19.25 million contract.
"There were a few tough nights," Helm said after an informal skate at Joe Louis Arena. "I got to talk to a few different teams, visited a couple of cities. It was an emotional week. I think talking to my family, our hearts were definitely set with staying in Detroit and we found a way to make it work and we couldn't be happier."
Helm, 29, and his fiancee are expecting their third daughter in November. He has made his home in the metro area for years, becoming a regular during the 2009-10 season after starring in both the 2008 and 2009 playoff runs. His strength always has been his speed, and he hit a career high with 15 goals and 33 points two seasons ago.
It was last season that troubled him, that made him open better lines of communication with head coach Jeff Blashill. After establishing himself as a top-six forward under former coach Mike Babcock _ who used Helm in the role previously held by Tomas Holmstrom _ Helm's role fluctuated under Blashill, from playing next to Pavel Datsyuk to fourth-line duty. Helm is versatile: he can play center or wing, and both special teams, and what he sought from Blashill in the off-season was a better understanding of playing time.
"We opened up a better line of communication between the two of us and I felt confident that things would be a little bit different between myself and him, that we can make things work," Helm said. "I like to be able to jump in different spots when I'm needed.
"Sometimes I just didn't feel like the message was relayed to me clearly _ I didn't know if I was moving because I wasn't playing well, or because I was doing things wrong. So we talked and we wanted to make a better line of communication between the two of us."
Helm suggested he might be back in a role he last held in 2012, which is centering the third line. "I think Blash wants me to get me back to that, moving the puck up the ice from the d-zone," Helm said. "At the same time, if there's opportunities where I'll need to play wing, I'll be just as excited to do that."
