Among the bubble players, Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg will not play on back-to-back nights, but Adam Gaudette and Denis Malgin will feature. Make of it what you will.
One inference is that Robertson and/or Holmberg have done enough to secure an opening-day roster spot, and Denis Malgin and Adam Gaudette are a day away from the waiver wire unless something spectacular changes tonight; they’ll both play with William Nylander in what could be a “last chance to show us something special” kind of opportunity.
Another possibility is that both Robertson and Holmberg are waiver-exempt (both on entry-level deals) and it could dictate that they start in the AHL, fairly or not based on the merits of their preseason performances.