Two and a half months removed, this photograph of three Detroit Red Wings in dismay after Hockeytown’s first-round playoff loss to the Nashville Predators assumes fresh meaning.

The three players captured here, as cheap yellow Preds rally towels are tossed to the ice in Music City celebration, are Wings no more.

Off-season turnover has seen defenceman Brad Stuart (head down) get traded to the San Jose Sharks, defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom (chin on gloves) retire after 19 years of excellence, and free-agent winger Jiri Hudler sign a $16 million deal with the Calgary Flames. All three had vacated Detroit when the organization suffered its second Nashville-related disappointment: losing out on the Ryan Suter sweepstakes to the Minnesota Wild.

“They were in there right till the end,” Suter said Wednesday. “Detroit is a great franchise. They’ve got a great thing going there. Everybody knows how much success they’ve had.”

But who knows how much success they’ll continue to have after failing to land all-star Suter, the only free-agent defenceman who could even come close to filling Lidstrom’s skates?

Former Philadelphia Flyer Matt Carle, widely considered the 2012 UFA class’s blue line consolation prize, didn’t sign with Detroit either. Late Wednesday Carle inked a six-year, $33 million deal to return to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team he played for four years ago.

#RedWings weren’t about to give D Matt Carle the 6Y, $33 M he got from Tampa Bay.

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) July 5, 2012

Add Carle to Suter, Sami Salo and brand-new Edmonton Oiler Justin Schultz, and the Wings – despite having the cash in the bank, a stellar reputation, a league-best 21-season streak of making the playoffs, and a loyal fan base – have swung and missed out on all of the market’s best defensive talent.

“I’m very disappointed, but I’m a realist,” said general manager Ken Holland, who flew to Wisconsin in a failed attempt to woo Suter. “We were down to the short strokes. His wife is from Minny, grandparents are nearby. We lost out to family. Can’t beat family.”

Or money: The Wings’ offer, as per the Detroit Free Press, was $90 million for 13 years, $8 million less than the Wild’s.

The free-agent pool is now wading-pool shallow on defencemen; the injury-prone Carlo Colaicovo, 29, or Chris Campoli, 27, might be the best of the rest.

#RedWings will look at trade possibilities for upgrading defense if it comes to that.

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) July 5, 2012

Holland has insisted that free agency is not about making a splash or winning bidding wars; it’s about improving the team.

And the Wings did strike new deals with backup netminder Jonas Gustavsson, ball of energy Jordin Tootoo, and former Red Wing Mikael Samuelsson.

The marquee names, so far at least, have passed them by. (The Wings tendered an offer to Zach Parise as well but did not want to pay as much as the Wild.)

Unlike defence, the position Detroit desperately needs to fill, there is still offensive talent up for the taking this summer.

The Red Wings could still lure Shane Doan from the Phoenix Coyotes, and Russian sniper Alex Semin could excel with a winged wheel on his chest.

How many goals would Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash, who reportedly has Detroit on his infamous yes-trade shortlist, score with Pavel Datsyuk setting him up? The over/under is set at 42.

Confirmed today Pittsburgh is on Rick Nash’s “approved” list. So #NYR, #Flyers, #RedWings, #SJSharks, #PghPenguins. Could be 1-2 others.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 4, 2012

Unless the Red Wings can figure out a way to shore their blue line through trades — we’re looking at you, Jay Bouwmeester — we could be looking a team that’s now offence first and offence second.

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