I would say that the Flames have 2 'tested' top 4 defencemen. There could very well be other options that end up passing the test during the season and either fill-in adequately as top 4 defencemen, or even become bona fide top 4 defencemen with their consistent play this season.
However, I would definitely make the point that there certainly are more than 2 NHL defencemen in the lineup. Lots of journeymen are consistent NHL'ers. There is reason to believe that the Flames defence overall will be decent if things work out. Impressive or elite? Not a chance this season. Passable? Definitely could be. I think they could be more offensive as a group overall, but they will leak more chances than last year by far.
I am 100% confident that a Wolf and Vladar tandem will be good enough. I know the forwards - though not elite - will be fine as well. The biggest question mark for me is defence. I have no idea what kind of consistency this group will bring, but there are certainly options. Things have to start really well on the back-end for this team to change my mind out of assuming they will finish in the bottom 3 this year. It is an interesting group of old and young 'journeyman' types, with younger members having a chance to solidify themselves into 'core' players, or continuing to be replacement level.
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