Like Fonzie admitting he was wrong, or Donald Trump acknowledging that he doesn’t know everything, it’s not something that you expect to hear, but like it or not, it has to be said. Jonathan Ericsson is playing quite well this season. The veteran defenseman, often the lightning rod for criticism aimed his way by Detroit Red Wings fans, appears to be the beneficiary of an upgrade in the team’s medical staff. “We’ve got chiropractors at every (home) game,… said Ericsson, who deals with a chronic hip issue. “I need that extra adjustment every time. For me that’s a big key, but also I get to know my body even more and what I have to do even more to keep it better, and what I shouldn’t do to not aggravate it from the time when I don’t skate. “I’m getting even more help now from the training staff. I feel better this year. I can skate better and the hips feel better on the ice so far.… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill believes that Ericsson’s improved mobility has enabled him to get around more quickly and handle the puck much better when under pressure, limiting the number of turnovers he commits, often a problem with Ericsson’s game in past season. “I think he certainly has gone through times over the last couple of years, he’s got some hip issues and some back issues that makes it harder, and there’s days when he’s moving better,… Blashill said. “Going back to last year, I thought he did a great job compared to the previous year of being an option to skate first and then making a play with the puck. “When he does that, you have way less turnovers and I think he’s got that big body that gives him that extra split-second to make a decision with the puck. It’s really eliminated a lot of the turnovers.… Ericsson and Trevor Daley have formed Detroit’s shutdown defensive pairing for much of the season, and again, Ericsson’s additional mobility has helped him significantly as he fills that role, though Blashill feels Ericsson was getting the job done more nights than not even last season until he was lost for the year in February due to a fractured wrist. “I thought he was probably night in, night out our best D last year until he got hurt,… Blashill said. “When he got hurt, I thought it really showed how much we missed him. He has the ability to go against the other team’s best players and certainly him and Daley have been a good pair together.… Much like Willie Huber, a Red Wings defenseman in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the 6-4, 220-pound Ericsson is a big man who doesn’t necessarily play big. You won’t see thundering hits as part of Ericsson’s repertoire, and that’s generally what Detroit fans want to see from large frame players, so Blashill understands why Ericsson gets trolled so frequently by the Wings’ fan base. “When he makes a mistake, it usually really shows because he’s so big,… Blashill said. “But boy, we’re in a tough spot without him. It’s hard to be his size and have the ability to be able to skate and do those type of things. Not many guys in the league can do that. It’s a unique skill set.…
A skill set that a healthier, more-mobile Ericsson is employing to his advantage so far this season. Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer