Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction #14

Connor Clifton is one of the latest players to wear a blue and gold uniform. And he can overdeliver for the Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24.

Connor Clifton signed with the Buffalo Sabres on Day 1 of free agency, and he, along with Erik Johnson will immediately upgrade the blue line regardless of which pairing he plays on. Clifton has never consistently played Top 4 minutes, and he will likely be asked to on at least a part-time basis for the Blue and Gold.

Realistically, Clifton will be at least a serviceable blueliner for the Sabres, but he’s expected to give the Sabres more than what Henri Jokiharju, Ilya Lyubushkin, Riley Stillman, and Jacob Bryson produced in 2022-23. But Clifton, a former member of the Boston Bruins, can potentially become a long-term solution in Buffalo’s Top 4. So let’s get bold and project how Clifton will overdeliver this season.

Connor Clifton puts up 30-plus points, lands 250-plus hits for Buffalo Sabres

Last season, Clifton put up several career high numbers in 78 games, including 23 points, 208 hits, and 120 blocks. This season, once Clifton earns his fair share of Top 4 minutes, he will build on his career best 2022-23 campaign, logging at least 30 points and becoming a physical force that the Blue and Gold haven’t seen in a while.

This isn’t to imply Clifton will be more productive than Rasmus Dahlin or Owen Power, nor will he be as much of a game-changer as Mattias Samuelsson. But he will be a good fit and play a larger role on the Sabres blue line.

So even if this is a bold predictions piece, more projected ice time for Clifton means that he can realistically pull off even better numbers for 2023-24. To reach the 30-point, 250-hit mark, he will need to stay healthy all season. But Buffalo Sabres fans will, even if he falls short of the aforementioned bold projections, find themselves more than happy with Clifton joining the group.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)