Sharks place Ryan Carpenter on waivers

The San Jose Sharks have placed forward Ryan Carpenter on waivers, according to Cap Friendly. The Sharks have yet to officially make a statement, but writers at The Athletic and Mercury News have retweeted the news from Cap Friendly, adding that more details would be forthcoming later in the day.

#Sharks have placed forward Ryan Carpenter on waivers.

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) December 12, 2017

The Sharks may be aiming to free up a space on their active roster by placing Carpenter on waivers. Paul Martin is currently completing a two-week conditioning stint with the Barracuda and is expected to return to the Sharks’ active roster by the end of the year. Joonas Donskoi has been on the injured reserve since December 2nd and made an appearance at this morning’s practice in a fifth-line jersey. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic tweeted that he believed that Donskoi is close to a return and the Sharks are looking to open a roster spot for him by shifting Carpenter to waivers.

Carpenter had signed a two-year contract with the Sharks in June of this year after two seasons between the Sharks and their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. After re-signing, he was among the forwards protected by the Sharks in the Vegas expansion draft.

This season, he has played 16 games and has only recorded one assist in that time. He has already tied his record of 20 shots from last season with the Sharks. Carpenter spent most of the 2016-17 season with the Barracuda playing right wing; he appeared in 54 games and recorded 39 points and 14 goals. The 26-year-old had his best offensive season to date in 2015-16 with the Barracuda, when he led the team in points with 55 in 66 games. He was also awarded the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award at the end of that season for his community service work in the Bay Area.

After an impressive Calder Cup playoff performance last season with the Barracuda, where he led the AHL in playoff points up to the Western Conference Final, it’s very likely Carpenter will be claimed by a team looking to fill out their bottom-six.