When the 2018-19 season started, Ericsson and fellow veterans defensemen Mike Green and Niklas Kronwall were on the shelf due to injury or illness.
It was the beginning of a pattern that plagued both Ericsson and the Wings blueliners throughout the year.
It was an upper-body problem that kept Ericsson out for the first seven games of the season.
He returned to play six games before suffering a different injury while lifting weights after the team's Nov. 1 game against the New Jersey Devils.
Ericsson also missed 10 of the last 12 games of the season after suffering a lower-body injury in the first period of the Wings' March 12 game in Montreal.
The 2019-20 season will be the final one of Ericsson's six-year, $25.5 million contract.
Although Ericsson perhaps never lived up to the expectations he created when he had four goals and four assists in 22 games during the Wings' 2009 playoff run, his 12-year NHL career has to be beyond what was expected from the ninth-round pick, 291st overall -- the final pick, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Only 18 players from that draft have played more games than Ericsson.
The draft no longer goes past seven rounds, a practice which started in 2005.
650 -- On Feb. 14 at home against the Ottawa Senators, Ericsson skated in his 650th career game. In the Wings' 3-2 victory, Ericsson had one shot and was even in 13:31 of ice time.
22 -- Ericsson finished the season with 662 career games, moving him into 22nd all-time in games played for the Red Wings, passing Mathieu Dandenault (616), Marty Pavelich (634), Shawn Burr (659) and Darren McCarty (659). Next up is Bruce MacGregor, who is in 21st place with 670 games.
2 -- On Jan. 12 at Minnesota, Ericsson had a season-high two points, both assists. Ericsson assisted on both of Thomas Vanek's goals in the second period of the 5-2 Detroit win.
52 -- Due to injuries, Ericsson was limited to just 52 games this past season, far shy of the 81 he played during the 2017-18 season.
26-- In an ordinary year, Ericsson's 26 games missed because of injuries would have led the team. But in this challenging year for Detroit's defensemen, Ericsson was only fourth on the team in this category. Green led with 39 man-games lost, Trevor Daley was second with 38 games lost and Danny DeKeyser was third with 30 games lost.
5 -- Ericsson had three goals and two assists for his lowest point total in a full season, only the second time he failed to reach double digits in points when playing 45 or more games. He had nine points in 51 games in 2016-17.
98 -- Despite playing just 52 games, Ericsson was third on the team in hits with 98. Luke Glendening led the team with 198 hits in 78 games and Justin Abdelkader was second with 185 hits in 71 games.
56 -- Ericsson had 56 blocked shots, tied with Green. Glendening led with 102. Kronwall was second with 96, DeKeyser was third with 94 and Nick Jensen (now with the Washington Capitals) was fourth with 79.
