For the third year in a row, the balls didn't fall in the Red Wings' favor in the draft lottery.
With the fourth best odds to claim the No. 1 pick, Detroit fell to sixth on the draft board Tuesday night. It was a major letdown for a team and a fan base that spent a good chunk of the season hoping for a shot at one of this year's top two prospects in Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko.
Still, the Red Wings will have a wealth of talent to choose from with the sixth overall pick. Here are five players that could come their way when the draft kicks off June 21 in Vancouver.
This might be wishful thinking, with Podkolzin widely considered the third best player in the draft. But with his contract in the KHL casting doubt onto his NHL availability for at least the next two seasons, there's a chance Podkolzin could fall. As far as No. 6? Let's see.
If so, the Red Wings would surely pull the trigger. The 17-year-old power winger is seen as a potential first-line forward, with the ability to both score and create. Detroit already has a glut of young forwards, but Podkolzin, at No. 6, would be value too high to pass up.
If there's any silver lining to the Red Wings' slide in the lottery, it's that they may wind up with the best defenseman in the draft -- at a serious position of need. Byram, 17, would immediately become the top blueline prospect in Detroit's system. He's a terrific skater with a strong two-way game and a penchant for joining the rush.
In Byram, the Red Wings would get a potential top-pair defenseman, something they've clearly lacked since Niklas Kronwall's game began to degrade. He probably wouldn't play in the NHL right away, but Byram, who put up 71 points in 67 games in the WHL this season, isn't far off. This would be a coup for Detroit.
The rise of Dylan Larkin the past two seasons appears to have filled the most important hole in the Red Wings' rebuild: a No. 1 center. They're still looking for someone to play behind him. Could Cozens be the guy? The 18-year-old, who scored 84 points in 68 games this season in the WHL, has the skillset to anchor a second line in the NHL.
With high-end speed in a 6'3 frame, Cozens is a rare combination. He has the kind of size the Red Wings are missing down the middle, with Michael Rasmussen an unsure thing at center. Detroit also spent a first-round pick on center Joe Veleno last year, but it's a position at which there's no such thing as too much talent.
This year's draft class is deep down the middle. Dach, 18, is one of at least five centers likely to be picked in the top 10. He comes from a mold similar to Cozens, with a 6'4 frame and strong skating ability. Dach might be more of a playmaker, with terrific vision and hands.
Again, the Wings don't necessarily have a need at center, but Dach is a different kind of player. He can play in all situations, with the size and speed to match up with anyone on the other bench. In 62 games this season in the CHL, Dach scored 73 points.
If Red Wings fan have liked what they've seen out of Larkin, they'll like Turcotte, whose coach with the U.S. National Under-18 Team recently compared him to Detroit's best player. Turcotte, 18, has high-end speed and tons of skill. He put up 53 points in 30 games this season. He's small at 5'11, but has a compete level to make up for it.
Turcotte is signed to play at Wisconsin next season, so he wouldn't step into the NHL right away. But, like Larkin, there's a good chance he'll be one-and-done, putting him on track to debut in 2020-21.