Sidney Crosby vs Connor McDavid: Stats, Awards and Postseason Success Through 4 Seasons

Every few years, a generational player comes through the NHL Draft and everyone immediately begins making comparisons. Whether they're referred to as the "next Gretzky" or compared to another generational talent, these guys are held to ridiculously high standards upon entering the league.

When he entered the 2015 draft as an 18-year-old, Edmonton's Connor McDavid was no stranger to these kinds of expectations. There's plenty out there who compare him to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, but how has the Oilers star stacked up?

Sidney Crosby vs Connor McDavid Stats

This graphic from NHL Network makes the comparison between the two pretty easy to understand.

Crosby racked up 397 points in his first four years, just barely above McDavid's 372. In that time, both hit career-highs in points with Sid's 120 in 2006-07 and McDavid's 116 last year.

Keep in mind that McDavid suffered a brutal collarbone injury right out of the gate that resulted in him playing just 45 games his first year.

Sidney Crosby vs Connor McDavid Awards

In terms of personal hardware, McDavid actually has a slight advantage. He's locked down two Art Ross trophies to Crosby's one in his first four years as the league's top scorer.

Both took home a Hart Trophy for league MVP in those four years, with McDavid being voted the best by the players (Ted Lindsay Trophy) twice already.

Sid, however, takes the definitive win in terms of awards through the beginning of his career as a part of the Penguins 2009 Stanley Cup-winning team in his fourth year.

Sidney Crosby vs Connor McDavid Postseason Success

The comparison here is really a no brainer. McDavid has only reached the postseason once in his first four years, while Sid took part in three playoff appearances in that time.

The important aspect of this metric is that Crosby has been part of much better teams. McDavid's Oilers just don't stack up to any of the Penguins teams Crosby has been apart of. As a three-time Stanley Cup champion, Crosby's postseason success is hard to beat.