I think Math is not a dumb player. I think he actually has a high hockey IQ. Its just a learning season from him. Maybe the team relied on him more than they should have. Maybe if there was a veteran, defensive sound Dman to pair with him, things would have been different. I think he can learn from this and become a better player down the road.
The jump from being sheltered on 2nd/3rd pairing to 1st line play is a massive one.
Like most athletes, you're always learning the game every single time you play. Never heard of any D just magically transition from #4/5 to #2/3 without some hiccups.
I know I've learned more from any loss/mistake in life/sport by trial and error.
People want him to be benched but also want him to learn hockey. How do you do that from the bench?
Confident as well he will be better, he'll never be a stud defensive guy but just needs to be better in front of the net and stop the lazy/silly turnovers. His skating is too good to pass up, after 3-4 years, you normally figure out what you have in a player. Needs to bust his ass in offseason and be ready to become a legit #2/3 come October.