Is Connor Mcdavid a "tier above" Sidney Crosby as a player?

[Wallet Inspector]

How do you compare the two Canadian superstars?

Click to read more...

 

[Miro4Norris]

This is simple. Want points, highlights, Art Trophies?

Take McDavid

Want leadership, your team performance to level up, Stanley Cups?

Take Crosby.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Same tier. McDavid puts up more points, Crosby wins more.

 

[jetsforever]

Regardless of who you think is better, I think it's too much to say McDavid is in a different tier.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Same tier. McDavid is the more physically gifted player. Crosby has a more impressive resume.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

I'll take McD, but it's the same tier for sure. The numbers lie a bit since Crosby's peak was during a lower scoring period. McD is benefitting from less hooking, cross checking, slashing and smaller goalie gear. He still gets all of the above without refs calling it, but it used to be worse

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Id be happy with either player. but gotta go with Crosby. 3x Cup Champ and scored to win Canada the Gold

 

[Foppberg]

Sid.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

It's like the Bure vs Kucherov debate... one is a Lamborghini with all flash no substance (McDavid) and one is a reliable winner and leader (Sid).

 

[DitchMarner]

If you give Crosby better health, he'd have at least four Art Ross Trophies. He'd have won in 2011 and 2013 for sure (and in impressive fashion). He would have had a chance in some other years as well. McDavid has actually won five and two of those are the strongest Art Ross wins we've seen this century.

I don't personally buy the argument that Crosby is necessarily a better overall player. He's better at certain things; McDavid is better at things. They both make a tremendous on-ice impact. I also think people get too caught up in the "winner' talk (this has been the case for decades in hockey, though). Team awards are very team dependent.

At the present time, I'd put them in the same tier. I do think McDavid is trending to be the better player all-time. If he wins two more Art Rosses, I do think I'd put him in a tier above. Seven to two would be a massive difference and he has impressive scoring race finishes outside of his wins as well (so does Crosby).

 

[DitchMarner]

It's like the Bure vs Kucherov debate... one is a Lamborghini with all flash no substance (McDavid) and one is a reliable winner and leader (Sid).

lol... so you actually think McDavid doesn't make his team better? That if you replaced him with a League-average 1C, his team still does as well in the season and playoffs?

Sounds legit.

 

[JianYang]

Are we still holding it against mcdavid that the Oilers haven't won a cup with him?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Are we still holding it against mcdavid that the Oilers haven't won a cup with him?

I mean when you are having conversation in where he ranks in like the top 10 all time in NHL history....to place him in the top 5 I don't think it is ridiculous to expect him to need to win one. Not saying it is his fault they haven't won...but it objectively matters when you are talking about a legacy for a player like this.

 

[um]

This is simple. Want points, highlights, Art Trophies?

Take McDavid

Want leadership, your team performance to level up, Stanley Cups?

Take Crosby.

I feel like I’m in a Crosby vs. Toews thread from 2013.

 

[JianYang]

I mean when you are having conversation in where he ranks in like the top 10 all time in NHL history....to place him in the top 5 I don't think it is ridiculous to expect him to need to win one. Not saying it is his fault they haven't won...but it objectively matters when you are talking about a legacy for a player like this.

I understand the perception. I think it's bullshit though.

Thank goodness gretzky played for a stacked oilers team in the 80s, and that lemieux finally got a really good team around him in the early 90s.

Otherwise who knows what the narrative would been on these guys.

 

[tarheelhockey]

IMO McDavid is better than Crosby in the same sense (but to a much lesser degree) that Gretzky was better than Messier. Both Hart level players who could give you very different contributions. Both could single-handedly put a franchise into contention under favorable conditions.

But between the two of them, there’s never really a question that you want the otherworldly scorer, over the all-round contributor with high intangibles. A McDavid level scorer is a unique weapon whose impact can’t be approximated by any other combination of players.

 

[Empoleon8771]

McDavid is better but absolutely not a tier better. They’re both on they 5-10 tier right now,

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Are we still holding it against mcdavid that the Oilers haven't won a cup with him?

Yes, because it somehow proves that he's not a "leader."

 

[Miro4Norris]

I feel like I’m in a Crosby vs. Toews thread from 2013.

Yeah, first they compared him to Ovi, then Toews, Then Kane, Then McDavid.. who's next?

 

[dirtydanglez]

absolutely. fortunately for the rest of the league he ended up in edmonton and not colorado or florida. the only reason why its even debatable is that mcdavid ended up with one of the worst front offices in the cap era.

 

[Skolman]

This is simple. Want points, highlights, Art Trophies?

Take McDavid

Want leadership, your team performance to level up, Stanley Cups?

Take Crosby.

What exactly is this based on?

 

[Miro4Norris]

What exactly is this based on?

Well I don't think I really have to answer on that question, but maybe check what his teams(Team Canada and Pittsburgh) have achieved with him as a captain, then after that see some player polls, interviews and opinions. That'll help to understand why one of the all-time best leaders is a good leader.

 

[um]

Yeah, first they compared him to Ovi, then Toews, Then Kane, Then McDavid.. who's next?

That went right over your head.

 

[Dradavich]

It's like the Bure vs Kucherov debate... one is a Lamborghini with all flash no substance (McDavid) and one is a reliable winner and leader (Sid).

Absolutely Horrible take considering Mcdavid just became the first skater in the 21st century to win the Conn Symthe despite his team losing.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Sid is to McDavid what Toews was to Sid. What a world!