atc watcher
you make some fine points. if indeed the legacy was to be at a lower altitude and somehow lost contact with ATC, what happened to the "expected" portion of the clearance.
like:
maintain FL370 expect clearance to FL360 in blank minutes?
one of the hallmarks of modern flying is communications...radios are so reliable now perhaps the backup of EXPECTED was over looked.
and ATC watcher, sadly I think you are right on about what caused this crash
j