I wouldn't say underrated. Both Wideman and Russell have had small rough patches this season and I don't know about stats but I think they did exactly what most fans wanted out of them this season, maybe surpassing even a few people's expectations. From watching them they were very steady during the regular season but struggled a lot in the playoffs.
I agree that they should be upgraded in order for the Flames to be championship caliber. That takes time though, upgrades will likely have to come from good drafting and development and right now Russell and Wideman are the best possible options for the #3/4 role - you probably won't find a good upgrade this offseason in free agency or without overpaying in a trade. Ideally on a contender Russell would be a #4/5 defenseman.
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