Confirmed with Link: Sabres sign D Connor Clifton to a 3 year deal worth $10 million ($3.33M AAV)

[HOOats]

not much, but dancing with Cozens .....

Wonder if he was brought in just to force Power into scrums to start unlocking the physical side of his game. We all have that little friend who instigates things at the bar... it could be good for OP.

 

[Jim Bob]

Don Granato Q&A on the Sabres' offseason and outlook for the future

The Sabres coach sat down with The Athletic for a Q&A.

theathletic.com

Q: What’s your favorite memory from coaching Connor Clifton at the development program?

Playing him at forward for a shift. Absolutely. We were short a forward, I looked down the bench and said, ‘Hey, I need one of you guys to play forward.’ He said, ‘I’ll do it.’ So he went out there for one shift. He loves to hit. He ran up the ice on the forecheck all the way into the corner and throws a hit. Wheels up, finishes another hit and has to chase the play back, gets stuck in there for a couple of seconds, sprints to the red line, puts it in the corner and comes off. He’s hanging over the bench breathing heavy and looks down the bench and says to the forwards, ‘I have new respect for you guys. That was not easy.’ When you meet him, I could never do it justice, how he speaks and talks. He’s a funny individual.

Q: How nice is it that he has that physical element but doesn’t sacrifice anything in terms of skating and the ability to play with pace?

The other component that’s intangible is guys love playing with him, whether it’s forwards or D partners. He works for his teammates. He has a great sense of objective and a great situational awareness. He plays a very mature game. His skill set is his skill set. But the intangibles of situational awareness and going through experiences in the NHL, the way he fits into a team, he’s just a culture driver naturally. There’s nothing manufactured. He’s just authentic. He’s like Mattias Samuelsson in that way. He just loves being part of a team and will do whatever it takes. He has a very good sense of objective to win.

 

[Fjordy]

Don Granato Q&A on the Sabres' offseason and outlook for the future

The Sabres coach sat down with The Athletic for a Q&A.

theathletic.com

Good pickup

 

[toddkaz]

Anyone know why his post season ice time was reduced? Because of Boston bringing in Orlov?

 

[joshjull]

Anyone know why his post season ice time was reduced? Because of Boston bringing in Orlov?

Orlov and he was swapping in and out of the lineup with Grzelcyk.

I think he struggled with Bruins forecheck. He was partnered with Forbert

 

[Dingo44]

I am really thinking Clifton was a great pickup. Other than Orlov, you see anyone else on this list whom you'd rather have - and for more money? And I wouldn't want to pay Orlov that contract:

 

[michaelsaas]

I am really thinking Clifton was a great pickup. Other than Orlov, you see anyone else on this list whom you'd rather have - and for more money? And I wouldn't want to pay Orlov that contract:

View attachment 726986

Soucy

 

[RefsIdeas]

I am really thinking Clifton was a great pickup. Other than Orlov, you see anyone else on this list whom you'd rather have - and for more money? And I wouldn't want to pay Orlov that contract:

View attachment 726986

Soucy, Gudas and Orlov pretty easily. You wouldn't want Orlov for that contract for two years? What is it preventing you from doing?

 

[Jim Bob]

Soucy, Gudas and Orlov pretty easily. You wouldn't want Orlov for that contract for two years? What is it preventing you from doing?

My guess is that Adams & company prioritized a RHS way more than people expected.

 

[RefsIdeas]

My guess is that Adams & company prioritized a RHS way more than people expected.

Yeah, makes sense. That's not saying I mind the Clifton signing at all. I think he's fine. Others probably a bit better. Orlov more than the others.

 

[Fjordy]

I am really thinking Clifton was a great pickup. Other than Orlov, you see anyone else on this list whom you'd rather have - and for more money? And I wouldn't want to pay Orlov that contract:

View attachment 726986

Orlov and Soucy, but for me Clifton = Soucy. Graves too good, but 6 year... too much.

 

[Jim Bob]

Yeah, makes sense. That's not saying I mind the Clifton signing at all. I think he's fine. Others probably a bit better. Orlov more than the others.

Of the RHS options, he wasn't a bad choice. It wasn't a great crop of RHS UFA D.

 

[Tatanka]

Anyone know why his post season ice time was reduced? Because of Boston bringing in Orlov?

Turnovers that led directly to goals. He was benched at one point vs Fla.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

I am really thinking Clifton was a great pickup. Other than Orlov, you see anyone else on this list whom you'd rather have - and for more money? And I wouldn't want to pay Orlov that contract:

View attachment 726986

Soucy and Holl also both have trade protection, which Clifton does not have. Clifton's contract is a nice feather in Adams hat.

 

[Dex]

Hmmm...would have preferred a "you're all dead to me now, I bleed blue and gold" type of post. Maybe he'll come around.

The bleed 'blue and gold' thing actually works.

Probably around 15 years ago now, I purchased tickets for a game for myself and my two boys. On the way to the game, I got T-boned by some guy at an intersection - which caused my vehicle to roll over and left us all hanging upside down in our vehicle. We were all okay and crawled out of the car with no real injuries, except that when crawling through a shattered window, I cut my hand on a shard of glass. We obviously missed the game and the next day a work friend of mine who lives nearby asked me if I saw the horrible accident at the intersection the evening before. When I told him it was me, he was shocked as he assumed there were deaths involved based on the condition of my vehicle.

About a week after the accident I decided to write the Sabres and describe my misfortune. I described the accident and added that after I cut my hand, I looked down to check out my hand and I was bleeding blue and gold. A couple of weeks later, three tickets compliments of the Sabres arrived at my house.

 

[Dingo44]

Buffalo Sabres: 3 reasons Clifton takes his game to next level in 2023

Last week, the Buffalo Sabres signed Connor Clifton to a three-year deal, and the hard-hitting blueliner is just now coming into his own.

sabrenoise.com

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Fezzy126]

Clifton alone won’t stem Buffalo’s goal-for-goal bleeding, but his presence will make 31 teams far less comfortable when entering the Sabres’ end. Warning: Hard hats are mandatory now at this end of the ice. That’s not the way it has been for the Sabres for a very long time.

“Obviously, I play a two-way abrasive style,” said Clifton. “I think I am going to help on the defensive side. They were [No. 3] in goals scored, obviously. I don’t want to change how they play, but I think I can help the other side of things, and obviously, when you’re scoring more goals than you’re giving up, you’re going to be a good team.”

Headed into the weekend, only 20 players league wide, eight of them defensemen, signed post-July 1 UFA deals with annual average payouts higher than Clifton’s $3.33 million. The biggest winner at the pay window for blue liners, in terms of average payout, was fellow ex-Bruin Dmitry Orlov, who hitched on with the Hurricanes for two years at an eye-popping $7.75 million per.

Interesting little tidbit for those that think handedness doesn't matter:

According to agent Eric Quinlan, Clifton had talks with some 10 teams interested in his services. At least one other team, he said, tried to entice Clifton with more years and higher AAV than Buffalo, but Clifton felt the resurging Sabres offered the best playing opportunity. He also had a longstanding relationship with coach Don Granato, once his mentor with the US National Team Development Program.

“That was huge,” said Quinlan, noting that Clifton also enjoyed his playing time under Montgomery. “Connor and Don had the connection, and Don made clear, yeah, they wanted a right-shot D-man, and he wanted Connor to be that guy.”

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

According to agent Eric Quinlan, Clifton had talks with some 10 teams interested in his services. At least one other team, he said, tried to entice Clifton with more years and higher AAV than Buffalo, but Clifton felt the resurging Sabres offered the best playing opportunity.

That team has 100% got to be Detroit or the Ducks, right?

 

[Dingo44]

This popped up on my news feed.

2023 Player Ratings: Tough playoffs marred Connor Clifton’s season

It was real bad.

www.stanleycupofchowder.com

 

[AaronPines]

This popped up on my news feed.

2023 Player Ratings: Tough playoffs marred Connor Clifton’s season

It was real bad.

www.stanleycupofchowder.com

Even for not fans of the signing, that’s a homer, sour grapes sort of weak hockey blogging (especially if you read their other stuff). The truth is in the middle i think.

But hey, I’m just commenting on HFBoards so i shouldn’t fire too many shots. I’m glad he’s pumped about Farinacci.

 

[elchud]

He had a really bad playoffs from what I saw, so much so that I went from wanting him to wanting Mayfield as the guy we would sign in free agency.

But he's our guy now. He's gonna be great!

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Even for not fans of the signing, that’s a homer, sour grapes sort of weak hockey blogging (especially if you read their other stuff). The truth is in the middle i think.

But hey, I’m just commenting on HFBoards so i shouldn’t fire too many shots. I’m glad he’s pumped about Farinacci.

Seemed like a pretty fair tone in that article to me. Some of the comments down below are much more harsh, even saying CC was bad during the last 25 games of the regular season. I didn't want CC but I'm not going to poo-poo the guy just because he wasn't one of my preferred options. I'm going to hope he adds some positive energy despite the apparent erratic play he leans toward. I will NOT expect him to be a steady 2nd pair quality guy though. Instead I will hope there is enough improvement-by-committee between him, EJ, and Joker. By March I hope somebody can be that guy...we shall see.

 

[zuikan]

We're overdue for a decent defenseman from the scrap heap. Roll those loaded dice.

 

[Jim Bob]

Meet Connor Clifton, the spleen-busting defenseman who can change the Sabres

The Sabres are hoping defenseman Connor Clifton fills a physical need this season.

theathletic.com

So Clifton carefully considered his next move when he became a free agent. He and his agents, Dan Plante and Eric Quinlan of Forward Hockey, studied depth charts across the league and knew Buffalo could be a suitor. There were other offers for more money and longer term, but Clifton zeroed in on the Sabres. It was a chance to play for a young, rising team with skilled defensemen who complement his playing style. But most importantly, playing for the Sabres means playing for Don Granato, who coached him at the United States National Team Development Program a decade ago.

“Don has always fought for Connor,” said Tim Clifton Sr., Connor’s dad. “Loyalty goes a long way in the Clifton family. It’s essential. We’re loyal and Don’s a loyal guy. Connor’s got a little extra step in his workouts this summer.”

Clifton’s not someone who’s ever needed extra motivation, either. Tim Sr. can’t remember a time when Connor ever missed an off-ice training session. That’s how he built the strength behind his bruising style of play. That strength allowed him to play for the Hitmen at age 14 in the Empire League, a junior league made up mostly of 19 and 20-year-olds. At the time, Connor’s brother Tim Jr., who is three years older, had just finished his first season in the Empire League and was moving up to the Hitmen’s EJHL team. Tim Sr. told Harris he had a younger son and suggested he take the same path. Harris was hesitant when he learned Connor was 14. At that time, you couldn’t play in that league until you were 15, but Connor was one of two kids in the country to get an exception.