Originally drafted by the Sharks in the 7th round (205th overall) of the 2003 draft, Pavelski initially played at the University of Wisconsin before joining the Sharks during the 2006-07 season. Since then, he's established himself as one of the league's premiere goal-scorers while still maintaining a top defensive reputation; he's earned a Selke vote for best defensive forward every season since 2007-08. In 2015-16, he was named captain of the Sharks.