Golden Knights’ Ryan Carpenter readies for return to San Jose

Only one man with the Golden Knights knows what it’s like to swim with the Sharks.

Forward Ryan Carpenter spent parts of the past three seasons in San Jose before being waived in December and snatched up by Vegas. He’s the Golden Knights’ only link to the Sharks on the ice, giving him unique insight into his team’s next playoff opponent.

“They swept too, so we know it’s going to be a hard series,” Carpenter, 27, said of the Sharks’ quick dispatching of the Anaheim Ducks in the first round. “Even though we won all four games in our series, it was a tough series with all close games, and we expect it to be the same way (in the second round).”

Carpenter signed with the Sharks out of college as an undrafted free agent and appeared in 28 games with them from 2015-17. San Jose was impressed enough to protect him from the Golden Knights in the expansion draft. The Knights took defenseman David Schlemko instead, then traded him to Montreal.

Carpenter could never find a consistent role with the Sharks and was eventually cut after recording only five points this season. He was picked up quickly by the Golden Knights, and after being scratched often early on he found consistent ice time, scoring 14 points in 36 games during the regular season.

“After a while I was in the lineup for a while, so it’s nice when you’re not in and out in the lineup. You get a lot of confidence and you get in the rhythm of playing every day and just adjust,” Carpenter said. “Coming here, I just tried to have fun and not overthink it, and it’s been working so far.”

Carpenter acknowledges that playing his former team brings extra emotions, but he has faced the Sharks twice already during the regular season, so he feels more comfortable doing so now. At least, as comfortable as one can be facing San Jose’s talented defensemen such as two-time Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns.

“Burns, he gets every shot off to the net, so you just have to be in shooting lanes,” Carpenter said. “He’s so offensive. They have a lot of good defense and they play hard as a team, so it should be a fun series.”

Despite the challenges the Sharks’ lineup poses and his emotions surrounding the team, Carpenter said he’s approaching this series the same way he did the one against the Kings. He knows he’s not going to get a warm reception returning to San Jose anyway.

“(It’ll be) loud. I know they have good fans, and this time of the year any rink gets loud and intense and competitive,” Carpenter said. “The crowd gets behind the team. We have a good home-ice advantage here, and it’ll be the same in San Jose.”

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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.