Sidney Crosby sets high expectations for Connor McDavid in upcoming NHL season

Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid are both considered generational talents of the NHL. Crosby was the face of the league for multiple years before fellow Canadian Connor McDavid has graciously taken over that role since entering the league in 2016.

Sidney Crosby has set high expectations for the Oilers captain. Per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger, Crosby thinks a 170-point season is in the cards for Connor McDavid this upcoming season. He reminisced about McDavid's performance last season and said:

“I didn’t think 150 was going to be in the cards for him but he found a way to get there. So, I don’t think anything is out of the question for him as far as numbers are concerned. He just finds a way to find another level time and time again, so I would never bet against him.”

Connor McDavid ended the 2022-23 regular season with 153 points from 64 goals and 89 assists. It was the most number of points scored in the NHL since Mario Lemieux's 161-point 1995-96 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Crosby recently talked about playing with Connor McDavid in a dream Team Canada lineup. The Penguins captain was humble enough to give up his center position to McDavid and delegate himself to winger duties.

This is not the first time Crosby has endorsed Connor McDavid's scoring capabilities. In a 2018 interview with NHL.com, Crosby hailed McDavid as the best player in the NHL.

“Yeah, I think it’s hard to argue that one,” Crosby said. “I mean, you’ve got Nate (MacKinnon) and Leon (Draisaitl) and some other guys who are right there, but I think he’s proven that.”

Sidney Crosby was frustrated at Penguins' performance last season

Pittsburgh Penguins were one game away from securing a wild card spot but lost their last game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons ending one of the longest streaks in league history.

In an episode of the "32 Thought" podcast, Sidney Crosby talked about the hurdles faced by the Penguins last season and what kept the team from qualifying for the playoffs:

"It was such a struggle for us to find consistency. To go through all the ups and downs and to be in a position to get in (to the playoffs) and not being able to find a way, that's something we had done in the years past, and we didn't do it this time."

The Cole Harbour native then mentioned what irked him the most about the Penguins' performance last season:

"So that was frustrating. There's nothing better than playing in the playoffs. At this point, that's the most exciting thing. Playoff hockey is why you play, you just crave that atmosphere and environment and the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup."