Red Wings re-sign Darren Helm

By @MichaelCaples –

On the first day of free agency, the Red Wings retained one of their own.

Per TSN’s Aaron Ward, Detroit has signed 29-year-old Darren Helm to a new contract, locking up the longtime Red Wings forward before he could truly test the market.

Detroit Red Wings and Darren Helm agree to terms on a 5 year/ $3.85M AAV #DRW

— Aaron Ward (@NHL_AaronWard) July 1, 2016

 
Players have been able to converse with other teams since last Friday at midnight, but apparently none of the potential offers Helm fielded justified leaving Hockeytown.

A fifth-round selection by the Red Wings in 2005, Helm has played in 443 NHL games, all with Detroit. He has 72 goals and 90 assists in the timeframe, good for 162 points across six-plus seasons.

He missed roughly a season and a half with a lingering injury from 2012-14, but has since been a mainstay in the Red Wings’ line-up. Last season, Helm played in 77 games, recording 13 goals and 13 assists.