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NHL Sets Over/Under For Connor McDavid’s 2020-21 NHL Season

Can Connor McDavid score more or less points than his career average in 2020-21? What might affect his ability to post huge numbers?

It might not be “official” from the oddsmakers, but the NHL is setting the Over/Under for Edmonton Oilers star center Connor McDavid at 75 points. In a 56-game season and with lingering concerns that players might miss games during quarantine issues, is that high, low, or reasonable?

Related: McDavid Personally Focused On One Area During 2020-21 NHL Season

To date in his career, McDavid has a 1.34 PPG average. That’s 469 points in 351 games. 75 points in 2020-21 puts him right on pace for that same average. The question becomes how different this season will be and how much those differences might affect the point totals of a player like McDavid?

Illness and Missing Games

While we don’t want to predict anyone will have to miss games this season due to safety protocols and the Covid-19 virus, we’d be foolish to assume it won’t happen.

Four teams in three days have had to cancel practices or postpone games because of the pandemic and anyone who thinks this won’t be the norm moving forward doesn’t quite understand how traveling and not playing in a bubble is going to affect rosters this season.

Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid
Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid

Not only could McDavid miss time, but so could linemates, which will affect continuity and chemistry throughout the season. Fortunately, McDavid might be one of the few players in the NHL who could keep up his point totals regardless of who he’s playing with.

Power Plays and Special Teams

It’s difficult to know what a condensed season will do to the flow of games this season. It could affect things very little or it could shift games in a dramatic way when it comes to time spent on the power play and penalty kill.

Tired teams are likely to take more penalties. That’s great for McDavid who will be on the power play often and as the Oilers continue to use the man advantage as a weapon this season. He’s also not a huge penalty killer. So, if the Oilers get tired and take additional infractions, he might not see the ice as often.

Familiarity of Opponents

Does it matter if McDavid plays the same people nine or ten times in a season? For some players, it could play a huge factor in their ability to stay productive.

As teams figure out how to defend certain players or players, production might drop. McDavid has specifically talked about this and says one of the focuses he’s keyed in on this season is finding new ways to attack. He knows that as teams see him more often, they’ll come up with ways to try and stop his speed and skill.

The question is, can they stop him?

Next: Oilers Make Roster Moves, Coach Talks Improving NHL’s Best Power Play

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