Better hockey player - Peak Crosby or Peak McDavid

[bobholly39]

McDavid's separation from the pack seems to be much greater. He's nearly 30 points ahead of 2nd place as of this morning and I'd suspect if LD was on a different team the gap would be much greater.

That goes both ways. If Draisaitl wasn't on Edmonton it would absolutely cut into McDavid's point totals too

 

[AvalancheFan19]

So McDavid and Draisaitl had better playoffs than Crosby then? Weird how a team with both of them only made it halfway to the cup instead of winning it easily.

You find that weird? I'd find it weird if we were talking about basketball. If we're talking about hockey though....You need a hell of a lot more than 2 forwards producing, even it it is elite production.

People always want to bring up team accomplishments into this. McDavid with another two goals yesterday. But yes, keep telling yourself Crosby had a higher peak *shrug*. We're just acting like he doesn't have 36 more points than Kucherov and 40 more points that Pastranak? Lol. When was the last time someone lead in both points and goals? What more do you want him to do exactly? Again, we're only talking about peak. For career, that's a different conversation.

 

[InglewoodJack]

McDavid is obviously the better player, but there was a “greatness” about Crosby’s peak that just isn’t there for CMD. Peak Crosby was one of the most exciting periods of hockey in the last few decades- when the pens were winning cups, their games felt like appointment watching, especially when they played the Caps. A lot of that is marketing and “vibes” and if McDavid doesn’t have the chance to rattle off cups like Sid did, the league will have wasted their best talent since Mario, but when Crosby was at his peak, it felt a lot more exciting than McDavid, even though McDavid is putting up video game numbers and seems to still be getting better and better. Not sure if that makes sense.

 

[Voight]

McDavid is obviously the better player, but there was a “greatness” about Crosby’s peak that just isn’t there for CMD. Peak Crosby was one of the most exciting periods of hockey in the last few decades- when the pens were winning cups, their games felt like appointment watching, especially when they played the Caps. A lot of that is marketing and “vibes” and if McDavid doesn’t have the chance to rattle off cups like Sid did, the league will have wasted their best talent since Mario, but when Crosby was at his peak, it felt a lot more exciting than McDavid, even though McDavid is putting up video game numbers and seems to still be getting better and better. Not sure if that makes sense.

Meh, that was helped by the Pens being an east coast team/American team promoted by NBC plus the leagues massive effort to market the Ovy/Sid thing.

 

[banks]

Individual peak performance, McD.

Crosby has the ultimate peak achievement with a Cup win, and the insane longevity. But the answer to this question is McD.

 

[Machinehead]

We never really got to see peak Crosby and I think he would have been something else, but this is ridiculous from McDavid.

 

[mm11]

great debate. I don't know can I have both?

 

[Valinor]

McDavid AINEC

 

[M88K]

McDavid. Easily.

 

[TheGuiminator]

Crosby is my favorite player, but McDavid is better than he ever was. You have to be delusionnal to think otherwise. Everything that Crosby did in his peak, McDavid did it (still does) better and longer

Crosby's peak was relatively short living (99 games) and wasn't even producing at an higher level than McDavid has been since January 2018 (1,61 vs 1,63 PPG) with McDavid playing nearly the quadruple of Crosby's games

How can you seriously come to the conclusion that peak Crosby is better than peak McDavid ?

None of Crosby's best seasons come close to McDavid's 2021 or 2023 season and never quite dominated his peers like McDavid does. Hell, McDavid has already bested Crosby's best single season in goals, points in less than 65 games. He also bested Crosby's Playoff run in points.

Despite being a decade younger, McDavid has already :

3 more Ross than Crosby (counting 2022-23)
An extra Hart & Lindsay & 1st AST selection (counting 2022-23)
More assist league leader (2 vs 1)
More +5 points games than Crosby (8 vs 6)
As many 100 points seasons
Almost as many hat tricks (13 vs 15) & 4 points games (32 vs 37). Only a matter of time before he leaves Crosby in the dust in those categories.

I have accepted a long time ago that Crosby is simply not the modern Gretzky/Lemieux, but McDavid is.

Crosby will end up just fine though (top 10 all-time) but clearly a tier below McDavid who's on track to challenge one of Howe, Orr & Lemieux among the Big Four

 

[Nathaniel]

Crosby is my favorite player, but McDavid is better than he ever was. You have to be delusionnal to think otherwise. Everything that Crosby did in his peak, McDavid did it (still does) better and longer

Crosby's peak was relatively short living (99 games) and wasn't even producing at an higher level than McDavid has been since January 2018 (1,61 vs 1,63 PPG) with McDavid playing nearly the quadruple of Crosby's games

How can you seriously come to the conclusion that peak Crosby is better than peak McDavid ?

None of Crosby's best seasons come close to McDavid's 2021 or 2023 season and never quite dominated his peers like McDavid does. Hell, McDavid has already bested Crosby's best single season in goals, points in less than 65 games. He also bested Crosby's Playoff run in points.

Despite being a decade younger, McDavid as already :

3 more Ross than Crosby (counting 2022-23)
An extra Hart & Lindsay & 1st AST selection (counting 2022-23)
More assist league leader (2 vs 1)
More +5 points games than Crosby (8 vs 6)
As many 100 points seasons
Almost as many hat tricks (13 vs 15) & 4 points games (32 vs 37). Only a matter of time before he leaves Crosby in the dust in those categories.

I have accepted a long time ago that Crosby is simply not the modern Gretzky/Lemieux, but McDavid is.

Crosby will end up just fine though (top 10 all-time) but clearly a tier below McDavid who's on track to challenge one of Howe, Orr & Lemieux among the Big Four

Let's see needs cups and smythes

 

[EverTheCynic]

Crosby is my favorite player, but McDavid is better than he ever was. You have to be delusionnal to think otherwise. Everything that Crosby did in his peak, McDavid did it (still does) better and longer

Crosby's peak was relatively short living (99 games) and wasn't even producing at an higher level than McDavid has been since January 2018 (1,61 vs 1,63 PPG) with McDavid playing nearly the quadruple of Crosby's games

How can you seriously come to the conclusion that peak Crosby is better than peak McDavid ?

None of Crosby's best seasons come close to McDavid's 2021 or 2023 season and never quite dominated his peers like McDavid does. Hell, McDavid has already bested Crosby's best single season in goals, points in less than 65 games. He also bested Crosby's Playoff run in points.

Despite being a decade younger, McDavid has already :

3 more Ross than Crosby (counting 2022-23)
An extra Hart & Lindsay & 1st AST selection (counting 2022-23)
More assist league leader (2 vs 1)
More +5 points games than Crosby (8 vs 6)
As many 100 points seasons
Almost as many hat tricks (13 vs 15) & 4 points games (32 vs 37). Only a matter of time before he leaves Crosby in the dust in those categories.

I have accepted a long time ago that Crosby is simply not the modern Gretzky/Lemieux, but McDavid is.

Crosby will end up just fine though (top 10 all-time) but clearly a tier below McDavid who's on track to challenge one of Howe, Orr & Lemieux among the Big Four

Being completely honest, McDavid is better suited to this era of hockey. Especially if the refs are consistent and call stuff in the playoffs like they do in the regular season. I've never seen anyone do the stuff he does, not even prime Lemieux. I think he's the most talented player to ever put on skates.

But if the refs decide to put the whistle away in the playoffs. Where the game devolves back into a clogfest, outside grind with obstruction, I'd much rather have Crosby on my team for a cup run. 2 Conn Smythes speak for themselves.

 

[bobbyking]

Joe Thorntons best seasons are better or equal to crosbys ... this isn't close

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Being completely honest, McDavid is better suited to this era of hockey. Especially if the refs are consistent and call stuff in the playoffs like they do in the regular season. I've never seen anyone do the stuff he does, not even prime Lemieux. I think he's the most talented player to ever put on skates.

But if the refs decide to put the whistle away in the playoffs. Where the game devolves back into a clogfest, outside grind with obstruction, I'd much rather have Crosby on my team for a cup run. 2 Conn Smythes speak for themselves.

McDavid's playoff run last year was way better than Crosby's Smythe runs. And before someone says I'm a OV fanboy/Crosby hater, yes it was way better than OV's Smythe run too.

 

[wetcoast]

The level of play at their best is pretty much a coin flip, if you consider era and scoring. But McDavid gets the credit for sustaining that level of play across more seasons for more games.

But I will always be biased toward the way Crosby played the game. He was as gritty a mucker as any fourth liner and could play the game anyway you like. I would trade off some of McDavid's edge in skill for Crosby's overall game.

Came here to say this, absolute offensive peak probably goes to McDavid this year and best 3 year run as he stayed healthy but the OP is asking for better hockey player at their peak and I'd still take Crosby by a hair.

 

[CanadienShark]

McDavid is already better than peak Crosby and he might still improve.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

One game, or playoff series, Crosby 2012 McDavid 2023…..

It is a hell of a lot closer than many here believe it is.

All else equal, I will take the dude who wins.

 

[Video Nasty]

One game, or playoff series, Crosby 2012 McDavid 2023…..

It is a hell of a lot closer than many here believe it is.

All else equal, I will take the dude who wins.

2012 Crosby played 22 regular season games and 6 playoff games.

I’ll take 2023 McDavid.

 

[NikF]

Nobody is denying McDavid's insane talent level, at the same time nobody can ignore the nagging feeling that Crosby had a certain trickle-down effect in terms of approach, commitment to winning, work-ethic and a demand for excellence that drastically turned a franchise's fortunes around. Of course, McDavid might still pick up those "team" accolades but by and large with Crosby you knew it from day 1, that more or less a seismic shift in franchise culture was happening. By comparison, McDavid seems more like a lone genius artist at this stage of his career.

 

[JTToilinginToronto]

McDavid.

Nothing against Crosby, but McDavid has historic level talent. Crosby was generational talent.

 

[amnesiac]

even considering playoffs.... right now as we speak, McDavid is the best since Mario. No Question.

 

[bobbyking]

Came here to say this, absolute offensive peak probably goes to McDavid this year and best 3 year run as he stayed healthy but the OP is asking for better hockey player at their peak and I'd still take Crosby by a hair.

which 30 game stretch did it for you lol

 

[Fourier]

Nobody is denying McDavid's insane talent level, at the same time nobody can ignore the nagging feeling that Crosby had a certain trickle-down effect in terms of approach, commitment to winning, work-ethic and a demand for excellence that drastically turned a franchise's fortunes around. Of course, McDavid might still pick up those "team" accolades but by and large with Crosby you knew it from day 1, that more or less a seismic shift in franchise culture was happening. By comparison, McDavid seems more like a lone genius artist at this stage of his career.

Did Crosby inspire Fleury or Murray to be a better goalie than a 40 year old injured Smith? There is no real evidence what so ever to the claim that Crosby has a better work ethic or demand for excellence than McDavid. The Pens were more successful than the Oilers because they had a better team not because of some mystic power that Crosby had over his team mates.

 

[EverTheCynic]

McDavid's playoff run last year was way better than Crosby's Smythe runs. And before someone says I'm a OV fanboy/Crosby hater, yes it was way better than OV's Smythe run too.

No it wasnt. Because he didnt win the f***ing cup. How does that make any f***ing sense

 

[NikF]

Did Crosby inspire Fleury or Murray to be a better goalie than a 40 year old injured Smith? There is no real evidence what so ever to the claim that Crosby has a better work ethic or demand for excellence than McDavid. The Pens were more successful than the Oilers because they had a better team not because of some mystic power that Crosby had over his team mates.

You missed the point. The point is Crosby, his continued excellence, style of play, and overall approach have coincided with a rebirth of a franchise and multiple Cups under different coaches. It's something you could tell the moment he stepped on ice, that he had culture-changing assets. Like the now much maligned but inferior in talent Jonathan Toews. Or Mike Richards who was critical to the Kings 2012 Cup to the point that such a thing would not happen with an equally talented player who lacked his game-feel and attitude. His acquisition was almost entirely for that aspect, as the talkative Dean Lombardi has pointed out multiple times. To say "Crosby had a good team" is besides the point. He was the cornerstone of that rebirth and it is not something mystical, it is something scouts, GMs and execs gauge constantly. People not experienced enough in the psychology of team construction and overall evaluation often miss this nuance, others have an ideological bent because such a thing cannot be properly quantified. Nothing to take away from McDavid, I did not say that McDavid isn't that guy. The point was that Crosby *was* that guy and proved it over and over again.