Last season, the Boston Bruins dominated the NHL, including the Buffalo Sabres. This year, the Blue and Gold weakened them by signing Connor Clifton.
Few general managers in professional sports have built a team more methodically than Kevyn Adams in recent seasons. He took the down-and-out Buffalo Sabres and built a foundation across his first two seasons in office.
In Year 3, he made the team at least halfway decent, constructing a group that saw its highest points total in over a decade. But that team had a lot of flaws, lacking experience and physicality. Well, he brought back and imported some much-needed experience, with Erik Johnson serving as one of his latest signings.
But Adams didn’t stop there. Shortly after he brought back Tyson Jost and signed Johnson, he decided to pick Connor Clifton away from the Boston Bruins, bringing yet another puzzle piece who knows a thing or two about winning to the Queen City.
Connor Clifton brings more than an edge to the Buffalo Sabres blue line
Heading to what has now become a crowded blue line, Clifton will compete with Johnson for a spot on the top four. But in a worst-case scenario, he will make an incredible piece on the third pairing.
So what makes the Clifton signing so enticing? Going into free agency, the Sabres needed someone who could hit, and hit often. Before last season’s trade deadline, they brought in Riley Stillman, but he didn’t look like the answer.
Clifton, on the other hand, logged 78 games, 17:51 of average total ice time, 120 blocks, 208 hits, and 20 takeaways. The 28-year-old also has 232 games of NHL experience, so the Blue and Gold are also bringing in a seasoned veteran. Oh, and to top things off, Clifton scored 23 points, five goals, and 18 assists, so he’s got some value in the offensive zone.
I noted in a previous piece of how Johnson’s presence brought about an incredible on-ice save percentage. Clifton also brings that, helping goaltender and former Sabre Linus Ullmark snag his first career Vezina and Jennings Trophy (the latter with Jeremy Swayman) with a 93.2% on-ice save percentage at even strength and 93.4% at 5-on-5 this past season.
What’s more? Clifton also logged nearly 121 minutes on the penalty kill, finishing the season with a 93.3% on-ice save percentage in the category. Overall, Buffalo Sabres fans should be ecstatic with the signing, as they are getting a physical player who should help out goaltender Devon Levi and presumably Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Source: Connor Clifton joins’ Sabres defense corps on 3-year contract in free agency by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)