Deep Blue Sea: Keeping DoPS busy

Ho boy, Hertl. That hit last night could mean a call from the Department of Player Safety is coming for the young Sharks’ forward.

But he’s not the only one! The Bruins’ Brad Marchand is under fire for an elbowing incident yesterday against Marcus Johanssen of the New Jersey Devils. Unlike Hertl, Marchand wasn’t penalized on the play, but he also has a lengthy history of questionable plays that Hertl lacks.

With inconsistencies in how the league doles out punishment, for all we know, Marchand could get a slap on the wrist while Hertl sits for a game. Welcome to the Department of Player Safety, where everything is made up and the fines don’t matter.

Here’s a round up of Sharks news from around the web:

• Young goalies could help decide Sharks-Jets outcome (Jan 23, 2018) | FOX Sports
  The San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets have players who can light up the scoreboard seemingly at will, but their goaltenders may be more valuable.
• San Jose Sharks Fans Have Mixed Feelings on Timo Meier
  San Jose Sharks fans are warming up to Timo Meier. However, his stature is clouded by a player the Sharks could have, but didn't draft; the Islanders brilliant rookie Mathew Barzal.
• NHL: Winnipeg Jets visit San Jose Sharks after civic flap
  With a foot in both camps, I can see how a couple of misunderstandings had sparked a war of words between my hometown and the city I now live in. With the Sharks and Jets playing Tuesday in San Jose, let me clear up a few things...
• The Winnipeg Jets share their opinions of San Jose
  The Winnipeg Jets enjoy San Jose's warm climate and rabid fan base.
• Sharks' Tomas Hertl ejected for hit on Jets' Dmitry Kulikov
  Sharks forward Tomas Hertl’s break for the NHL All-Star Game might be starting a bit early.
• Sharks can't complete comeback, lose to Winnipeg Jets in OT
  Emotionally, the Sharks where were they needed to be for most of Tuesday’s game with the Winnipeg Jets. Structurally, though, they left a little to be desired.
• Hertl's filled a hole on the wing but left another down the middle | NBCS Bay Area
  When the Sharks entered the season, the discussion of who would replace Patrick Marleau as a top-six winger did not center on Tomas Hertl because he was a center. Or, he was at least supposed to be.

And around the league...

• Ex-Minnesota Hockey Player Dies After Incident at O'Hare International Airport - NBC Chicago
  Andrew Carroll, 32, of Minnesota, was pronounced dead just before 3 p.m. Monday, after his body was found at the airport over the weekend, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
• Brandon Dubinsky sent home from Blue Jackets’ road trip to deal with personal issues – The Athletic
  Brandon Dubinsky was sent back to Columbus on Tuesday, leaving the Blue Jackets' road trip early to deal with ongoing personal issues that have hampered his season and could threaten his career.
• Brad Marchand Elbows Johansson - Is A Suspension Coming? - Stanley Cup of Chowder
  Late in the third period of tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand caught New Jersey left wing Marcus Johansson with an elbow to the head while falling to the ice.
• The sky could be the limit for Shea Theodore - Knights On Ice
  From starting in the AHL to getting 20 minutes a night to helping defeat the Lightning, Theodore has been everywhere for the Golden Knights.
• Former Stars winger Valeri Nichushkin not allowed to play in 2018 Olympics - SBNation.com
  The former NHL first-round pick is one of several Russian hockey players being barred from competing in Pyeongchang.
• NHL - Filip Nyberg is the best player in the world of the week
  MacKinnon has led the Avalanche to wins in 10 straight games. Jordan Kyrou continued his torrid scoring pace for the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. But the most impressive performance this week came from a 14-year-old dynamo playing in Sweden.
• NHL -- Pieces are finally falling into place for Seattle's expansion franchise bid
  The NHL has flirted with Seattle, which has a rich hockey history, including the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup, for decades. But as momentum builds around the city's expansion bid, hope among fans and city officials finally feels tangible.
• There’s a ‘Mighty Ducks’ TV show in the works and it could be coming in 2018 - SBNation.com
  Quack.