Darren Helm

The Detroit Red Wings did not renew Darren Helm‘s contract ahead of the 2021-22 season. The 15-year veteran of the league opted to join the Colorado Avalanche with the hopes of providing some value to the team’s bottom six. He found himself in pursuit of history by the end of things.

TAMPA BAY - "If you look throughout our lineup and pick one guy that's elevated his game the most coming into the playoffs, and has been as consistent as can possibly be and can make an impact every single night, it's been Darren Helm," explained Avalanche coach Jared Bednar on the morning of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final.

The Detroit Red Wings have not suited up for a game since the regular season ended. But, a former Red Wings forward, Darren Helm, is pursuing the second Stanley Cup Championship of his career. Helm is a 15-year veteran of the NHL who spent 14 of those seasons with the Red Wings.

Fourth-liner Darren Helm has been one of the most noticeable players on the ice so far in this Stanley Cup Final for the Colorado Avalanche. While he isn’t what you would say is a “big-name player” compared to those of his teammates, it doesn't diminish his work.

Helm scored a goal on two shots, logged 12 hits and added four PIM in Saturday's 7-0 win over the Lightning in Game 2. Helm hurt the Lightning in multiple ways Saturday, as the 12 hits were double the next best total, achieved by three players. The veteran also tallied the Avalanche's fifth goal of the contest, his second of the postseason in 16 games. He's picked up four points, but fantasy managers looking for cheap physicality in DFS should know him well by now, as he has 84 hits in the postseason, good for over five body checks per game.

Helm dished out 10 hits against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. In addition, the center recorded four shots and a minus-2 rating in 15:07 of ice time. Helm led both teams in hits and set a new personal season high as he gave the Avs some much-needed physicality. Offensively, Helm has managed just one goal and two assists in 15 postseason contests, so fantasy players shouldn't be banking on him producing offensively with any consistency.

DENVER • There’s at least one area where the Lightning have a big edge over the Colorado Avalanche. After winning the past two championships, Tampa Bay’s roster is stocked with players who have lifted the Stanley Cup in celebration, including the past two Conn Smythe Trophy winners. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Most Valuable Player award last season, and defenseman Victor Hedman won it in 2020.

Helm notched an assist, three shots on goal, four hits and two PIM in Monday's 6-5 overtime win over the Oilers in Game 4. Helm won a faceoff back to Cale Makar, whose shot attempt led to two chances for Artturi Lehkonen, the second of which went in to clinch the 4-0 series sweep. Helm has only a goal and two assists in the playoffs, but two of his points have come on series-clinching plays. The 35-year-old has added 19 shots on net, 62 hits, a plus-4 rating and six PIM in 14 contests in a bottom-six role.

Darren Helm began his NHL career helping the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup — and now he's doing the same for their old arch rival.  Helm secured the Colorado Avalanche a spot in the Western Conference finals when he scored with 5.6 seconds remaining in regulation Friday in Game 6 against the...

After 20 years, Colorado is at last back in the Western Conference finals. Fourth-line center Darren Helm scored with 5.6 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals here Friday night.

It looked liked we were heading to overtime in Game 6. Not on Darren Helm's watch. The veteran forward skated into the zone and stepped into a slap shot that beat Blues goaltender Ville Husso on the glove side with 5.6 seconds left in the game to lift the Avs to a 3-2 win, sending them to the Western Conference finals.