I don't think Treliving has a special place in his heart for Bennett, or Bennett would have started the season off on a higher line. Anyone who works in a large corporation knows that the people on the lower end are always willing to pucker up to their boss, so if Treliving had a sweet spot for Bennett, our boy Ward would have acted on it without a question. Certainly Bennett has sucked but put yourself in his shoes from last season.
1) He played great in the playoffs and should have been rewarded with some confidence coming into this season
2) Look at the guys who have been marched out ahead of him - Lucic, Simon, Mangiapane, Leivo, Ryan, Nesterov, Nordstrom. Arguably, Mangiapane has an edge over potential, but none of those guys have shown anything over Bennett, and if you and I were in the organization and kept getting the butt end, there would be a breaking point as well.
The chicken or the egg? It doesn't matter. Things have spiraled out of control and the blame is on both coaching and Bennett. Stubbornness from both sides hasn't helped.
Ward airing out personal discussions was frustration but as a leader it wasn't good and played out as unprofessional. Again, look at the mediocrity he keeps putting out there each night. Aside from Mangiapane, all those guys have no business on a championship roster, period.
And the bottom line is that's on Treliving, who is seemingly coming our smelling okay in all this.
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