sureWhyNot

The Wings WERE contenders this year and will be next year with or without any moves

No they weren't and no they won't.

The last three years were two second round exits and a first round ousting. To claim this team, as is, will be contending for anything other then the 5-7th seed is ludicrous. A complete disregard for reality so to say.

Do you think the ice size is really going to have THAT big of an impact on our squad selection??

Yes I do. I mean I think it is a common sense type thing more then anything else. Here are a couple excerpts and quotes as well as a defensive selection from someone at hockey prospects:

"The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver were won on the NHL-sized sheet that North American players are accustomed to, but the tournament in Russia will be played to IIHF specifications, which is four metres wider. That extra space produces a different-looking game and tends to put a premium on speed and mobility."

“It’s an eye-opener for the players,” said Yzerman. “It’s just a different game and some players adapt better to it than others. … The big thing is skating, you’ve got to be able to get around the ice. For defencemen, they’ve got to be able to move out there.”

R. Suter – R. McDonagh

K. Yandle – K. Shattenkirk

J. Johnson – J. Carlson

DEFENSE: While the common theme up front was size, the common theme on D is speed. All 6 are good skaters and all are excellent at moving the puck. Others in consideration that didn’t make the cut were Erik Johnson (inconsistent), Brooks Orpik (age, speed), Cam Fowler (weak defensively)  and its too early to tell for rookies like Gardiner and Faulk."

"Whether it’s at forward or on defence, intelligence is the most important thing. You’re playing with different players … we put so much importance in that tournament and there’s so little time to prepare. Chris Pronger was a good player for us in the Olympics and he didn’t skate like he did when he was a kid, but he’s so smart and he passes the puck so well. He knows where to go and, as the tournament went on, he got better and better. That said, on a big ice surface, it’s more important that defencemen are mobile more then anything else.”

The larger ice surface is a huge element - for either of the North American GM's to not take it into consideration when constructing the team would be insane. NHL surface play is a game of bumper cars while international surface play is more a uptempo, speed based game.

I would also like to say again that the defensive 6 in the quote above was not mine, it was a pundits. I am not saying that's 100% what it should be - even though it looks pretty solid.

No chance for Buff. Carlson or Fowler will lock that spot up.

And I be completely honest I don't think either Canada or the US should be favorites in 2014. They simply cannot adjust to the larger ice surface.

Here's a fun trivia question. Tell me the last time either North American country won a gold medal in men's ice hockey played on a INTERNATIONAL sized surface?

Your last sentence asks the right question. That was my point. In order to sign in Detroit, they would EACH have to take less than other Cup-pursuing teams would offer them SEPARATELY. I don't see that happening. Do you really think that Parise will be making less than Kovalchuk? Or for much shorter term? More likely, he'll be making more.
Realistically, the only way to sign both would be if Lidstrom retires and a couple of other larger contracts (e.g. Bertuzzi) are gotten rid of and replaced with min.salary players. And then the Wings will be against the cap, and where will the future raises for the RFAs come from then?

Please explain to me Bertuzzi's "large" contract.

Here's why I think Yandle's in an up hill battle...

Take a look at Brian Burke's 2010 blue-liners: (* = missed games due to injury)

Eric Johnson (6-4, 232)
Jack Johnson (6-1, 231)
Brooks Orpik (6-2, 219)
Tim Gleason (6-0, 217)
Ryan Whitney (6-3, 210)
Ryan Suter (6-1, 198)
Brian Rafalski (5-10, 194)

...Seven defensemen, and the second smallest guy is Ryan Suter, who is a very, very tough 6-1, 198lbs.  If the makeup of the team in 2014 is anything like the makeup of the team in 2010, there's only going to be room for one finesse defenseman.  Maybe two - as it will be on olympic sized ice?  But I personally think we'll be storming into Sochi with an even bigger, meaner and tougher team after we saw it come so close to working in 2010.

Dustin Byfuglien (6-5, 265)
Eric Johnson (6-4, 232)
Jack Johnson (6-1, 231)
Ryan McDonagh (6-1, 216)
Zach Bogosian (6-3, 215)
Kevin Shattenkirk (5-11, 208)
Ryan Suter (6-1, 198)

Keith Yandle (6-1, 190)

...Even Shattenkirk, the smallest guy in competition with Yandle for one of those last spots, has 18 lbs on Yandle.  That's a lot of weight.  Maybe Yandle makes it.  I'm not saying he isn't one of our top 7 defensemen.  I'm just saying, he's fighting an up-hill battle in terms of the kind of player that we're looking for.

Actually you are 100% wrong.

They build the team you listed in a way that fit playing on a North American sized rink. 2014 will have us playing on a international sized surface. Not only will Yandle make the team, he will be in the top 4