After falling to 48 points over 70 games in , Tanguay rebounded in to score 67 points. During the season, he had a career best 16-game point streak which set a Colorado team record. He also scored his first career NHL hat trick on March 22, 2003, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was nearly traded to the Boston Bruins early in the season when both he and the team were struggling. Colorado had offered Tanguay and Martin Škoula to Boston in exchange for Martin Lapointe and Kyle McLaren, though the deal failed to materialize.