Confirmed with Link: Avs sign Darren Helm, 1 year × $1M

[Hasbro]

Add Nuke, Jost, and JTC for the 3rd line, and the bottom 6 might combine for massive 5 goals and 10 assists for the season!

Those are Danault or Crouse numbers!

 

[Hennessy]

Is he still fast?
I guess after getting Nemeth back going after Wings players directly is kosher now.
Not that I mind. Just weird after so long.

 

[henchman21]

Baugh tweeting Helm's PK clips from 2009.

I hear the star from that team is still kicking around Russia. Maybe he wants to come back?

 

[Avs_19]

I honestly didn't know he was still in the league. His numbers look kinda decent for his role so I'm fine with it if he can still skate.

 

[Hobnobs]

You can see Helm as a winger who can take faceoffs when the center gets thrown out. But yea last time he played center was probably in 2017 iirc.

The reason that he was shitted on was because of his contract and not because of how good he was in his role ($3,850,000 AAV thanks Holland...). Oh and that he will frustrate the hell out of you by not scoring on breakaways

However hes a good bottom-6 winger and PKer.

 

[Balthazar]

He's an older Nieto.

 

[Richard88]

Initial reaction was "meh". But this signing is growing on me.

He's got wheels, knows his role, PK's well, and brings energy consistently. At a price of $1m x 1 years it's going to be good value.

Also enjoying watching some of his clips, albeit from a decade ago.

 

[Gumballhead]

He's an older Nieto.

So… Abuelo?

 

[forsbergavs32]

Don't mind this, should give us a solid 4th line. Hopefully we can find a way to move Compher and bring in a top 6 LW

9296
xxxx-Kadri-Bura
Newhook-Jost-Nuke
Helm-Maltsev-LOC

 

[Miri]

They can now fill out a full lineup of forwards.

Landeskog - MacKinnon - Rantanen
Newhook - Kadri - Burakovsky
Nuke - Jost - Compher
Helm - Maltsev - LOC

It makes me wonder where they’ll go with their next move. Bottom pair RHD? Or maybe a Compher trade and bring a higher-end forward?

If this wont happen now. i will be seriously disappointed. And by higher-end i expect proper second line player, not just some middle-six tweener.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

The fastest get faster; can't complain.

 

[Freudian]

Take it on the chin and smile.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Those underlying numbers seem fine but just why though?

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Also, if he sucks, we just bury his contract and move on.

I'm thinking he'll have a solid season, a fresh start on a competing team could rejuvenate him. Plus the young guys will look to him as well.

 

[EdAVSfan]

Those underlying numbers seem fine but just why though?

For better or worse, the Avs are sticking with their skating philosophy.

Helm essentially does what they want him to do. PK, skate well for the system, and do it for peanuts

 

[the_fan]

I ain't worried. All this cheap signings means Sakic is saving the cap space to bring back Nemeth at the trade deadline. I mean who doesn't want to see a Nemeth MacDermid pairing in the playoffs?

 

[dahrougem2]

Those underlying numbers seem fine but just why though?

Because Calvert retired and Bellemare signed in Tampa Bay? Someone has to kill penalties, unless you're looking for the top guys to do it?

This is a perfectly fine signing for the 4th line. Helm and Maltsev are replacing Bellemare and Calvert and will be cheaper. Will they be as effective? Who knows. But that's clearly the idea here is Bellemare/Calvert out, Maltsev/Helm in.

 

[jaster]

I’m okay with this. He hustles. Decent defensively.

Dude was a warrior for us and had many great years (though has also always had hands of stone..... he's probably 2-for-300 on breakaways in his career). His play has fallen off a lot the past few seasons. His speed is gone, he's not as physical, kinda injury-prone now, and you really shouldn't have him play center. But you're right, he does hustle, and he is still decent defensively (though more of a forechecking type than a shutdown type).

If you plug him in as a 4th-line winger and he winds up 11th-13th in ATOI while playing a solid checking role and offering some veteran presence for $1M? It's not at all exciting, but it's a decent deal. I'm not going to say there weren't better options out there, but the contract would be fair.

 

[jaster]

Is he still fast?

His speed is still above average when he's healthy, but it's a fraction of what it once was. So much of his game in his prime was built on his plus plus speed. Nowadays it's just good enough to help keep him afloat.

 

[The Kingslayer]

k

 

[henchman21]

Because Calvert retired and Bellemare signed in Tampa Bay? Someone has to kill penalties, unless you're looking for the top guys to do it?

This is a perfectly fine signing for the 4th line. Helm and Maltsev are replacing Bellemare and Calvert and will be cheaper. Will they be as effective? Who knows. But that's clearly the idea here is Bellemare/Calvert out, Maltsev/Helm in.

IMO I think you really need 2nd line guys to PK. Not all, but your center and maybe a wing. Then the whole 3rd line should be able to PK. Ideally with an ace specialist on the 4th line.

 

[BrickNHL]

Needed a 4th liner. Now go get a #5D and a 2nd line forward

 

[Alex Jones]

Needed a 4th liner. Now go get a #5D and a 2nd line forward

Not sure there is enough cap space left for this. Need to move cap space

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

k

 

[dahrougem2]

IMO I think you really need 2nd line guys to PK. Not all, but your center and maybe a wing. Then the whole 3rd line should be able to PK. Ideally with an ace specialist on the 4th line.

Let's look at the last few Cup winners SH TOI (top six only, in order):

2021 Tampa Bay: Goodrow, Coleman, Cirelli, Killorn, Gourde, Stamkos (Stammer at 38 seconds per game, far behind the other 5)
2020 Tampa Bay: Cirelli, Goodrow, Killorn, Coleman, Pacquette, Gourde
2019 St. Louis: O'Reilly, Steen, Sundqvist, Barbashev, Bozak, Schenn (Schenn at 36 seconds per game, far behind the other 5)
2018 Washington: Beagle, Eller, Wilson, Chiasson, Stephenson, Smith-Pelley
2017 Pittsburgh: Cullen, Bonino, Hagelin, Fehr, Kuhnhackl, Rust
2016 Pittsburgh: Cullen, Fehr, Bonino, Hagelin, Porter, Kuhnhackl
2015 Chicago: Smith, Kruger, Hossa, Toews, Saad, Desjardins
2014 L.A: Stoll, Kopitar, Lewis, Richards, Carter, King

I think we can see here there's a slight mix of some 2nd liners but not a lot. Mostly 3rd/4th line guys outside of the obvious two-way mega studs like O'Reilly/Toews/Hossa/Kopitar/Richards/etc.