San Jose Sharks: Tracking every traded first-round pick in team history
By Matt Hawkins
1998 — Alex Tanguay
On November 20th, 1997 the Sharks sent over a 1998 first-round draft pick and right wing Shean Donovan to the Colorado Avalanche for center Mike Ricci and a 1998 second-round pick.
Ricci had a very successful Sharks career, playing in 529 games and recording 263 points (101 goals, 162 assists), plus/minus of +19, and finishing in the top-five for the Selke Trophy (awarded to the best defensive forward in the NHL) for three straight years over the course of seven seasons with the team.
Although he didn’t bring the offensive production San Jose was looking for, Ricci was brought a gritty type of game along with being an elite defensive center. But what happened to the first-rounder that was traded?
That 1998 first-round pick was used by the Avs to draft left wing Alex Tanguay 12th overall. Tanguay turned out to be a great playmaker in the NHL, with a career lasting 16 seasons and scoring 863 points (283 goals, 580 assists) in 1,088 games.
For Colorado, Tanguay played nine seasons and scored 488 points (167 goals, 321 assists) in 598 games. Just based on the careers of Tanguay with the Avs and Ricci with the Sharks, I would say that Colorado won this trade.