I don't think it's babying at all. They have to be able to audition in order to make the team. Adding Billins takes away an audition spot and almost closes the door on all first year guys. That's not proper development methods at all.
Currently, the Flames have Wotherspoon, Yonkman, Cundari and Acolaste who are the vets. That's two pairings right there. If/when Potter comes back, that's 5. Adding Billins is 6. There's your defence.
Where do Ramage, Sieloff, Culkin and Stevenson earn time when you have 6 vets on the go? Send all 4 to the ECHL where they aren't learning the Flames system but just getting time in? We already have them on a rotating schedule where they play 4 games a month or so. It's already as limited as you can get before it's almost flat out telling them there's no room so enjoy the free flights and hotels.
We loaned Cundari out last year for this same situation and I wouldn't be shocked to see it again because we do need spots to develop the players on defence. You can't have a kid sitting in the pressbox and learning the things off ice every night. No way Burke or Treliving would support that thinking.
And again, we have more defence prospects coming. They don't get called up as much as forwards do nor is there as many positions to fill. Unless we are planning to move a defense prospect, signing Billins just piles more onto the problem of too many defence and not enough spots.
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