Darren Helm out for “minimum of six weeks” with shoulder dislocation

November 16, 2016November 16, 2016 MiHockey Staff

Nikita Nesterov’s hit on Darren Helm resulted in a shoulder dislocation for the Red Wings forward. (Photo by Andie Wojciak/MiHockey)

By @MichaelCaples –

The Red Wings will be without one of their forwards for a significant period of time.

Darren Helm, injured last night in a hit from Tampa Bay’s Nikita Nesterov, will be out a minimum of six weeks, per Jeff Blashill in a tweet from the Red Wings.

Coach Blashill says Darren Helm (dislocated shoulder) out minimum 6 weeks. #RedWings

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 16, 2016

Helm, 29, had four goals and three assists in 17 games this season before the injury. He also held a +6 rating.

A fifth-round pick of the Wings in 2005, Helm 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 year, Helm played in 77 games, recording 13 goals and 13 assists.

He signed a five-year contract with the Wings just before officially hitting the free-agent market on July 1 – a deal that pays him almost $4 million per season.