Why Teuvo Teravainen is a safer choice than Connor Bedard next season

Chicago once again became one of hockey’s hottest markets last season when Connor Bedard stepped onto the ice for the first time. The 19-year-old Vancouver native was an instant wonder who blew hockey fans away with his talent at such a young age.

Bedard reminded many of superstar Connor McDavid, making the Blackhawks one of the most bet teams last season. It will be interesting to see what Bedard does in his second season. According to bookmakers, his over/under for points next season is 82.5 (-110 on Bet365).

He finished his first full season in Chicago with 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points in 68 games. The 14 games missed were due to a broken jaw that should be fully healed by next season, but the big jump in his projected numbers is more likely due to who he’ll be playing with now.

This offseason, Chicago signed former Maple Leaf Tyler Bertuzzi and former Hurricane Teuvo Teravainen, both of whom are slated to play alongside Bedard in early predictions for next season’s lines. However, this may not be as much of a setback for the talent surrounding him as some might think.

Bertuzzi and Teravainen’s points total was 96 last season, compared to the 91 points Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno earned when they played with Bedard last season. The five-point difference is not enough to convince me that Bedard will find his way to a player with more than a point per game.

I definitely think the trio can help each other to improve, but chances are that in Bedard’s case it won’t be as big as we think. Also, I think the chance of improvement is bigger with Teuvo Teravainen than with Bedard.

Teravainen’s over/under total is a much safer 49.5 points (-110 on Bet365) which he could easily reach considering he has eclipsed 50 points in five of the last seven seasons. He gets an extra boost with Bedard on his line and presents himself as a more reliable betting option than Bedard.

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