Sabres sign Defenseman Connor Clifton to 3 year 3.33 AAV Deal

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

Doesn't Power rank really high in entry denials? I bet we see Power as the rooming denial defender and Clifton as the defender who is behind him in case he loses or there's a passing option. 

This signing is great. 

[triumph_communes]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Doesn't Power rank really high in entry denials? I bet we see Power as the rooming denial defender and Clifton as the defender who is behind him in case he loses or there's a passing option. 

This signing is great. 

It’s nice that both top pair LDs will have conservative RDs behind them. Consistency across the line up has a lot of hidden value. 

[Second Line Center]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Doesn't Power rank really high in entry denials? I bet we see Power as the rooming denial defender and Clifton as the defender who is behind him in case he loses or there's a passing option. 

This signing is great. 

 

I don’t think with those numbers he’s playing with Power.  
 

He’s a 5/6/7 guy on a Stanley Cup team - which is why this is a great signing.  
 

Get a Top 4 D.  Goalie.  Let’s go.  

Edited July 1, 2023 by Second Line Center

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

 

I don’t think with those numbers he’s playing with Power.  
 

He’s a 5/6/7 guy on a Stanley Cup team - which is why this is a great signing.  
 

Get a Top 4 D.  Goalie.  Let’s go.  

Why? Samuelsson plays top pair and his numbers are similar. 

[matter2003]

If he can start 78 games on D for the best regular season team of all time he can start games for us.

[Pimlach]

51 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

They didn't sign Johnson to bench him but there's a decent chance it ends up that way by 2024.

I want 8 NHL caliber defensemen and the bottom 4 to be equally capable on any given night.  Johnson can play 45'ish games and actually help in other ways.  Similar to Anderson's role the past few seasons.  

I think the current defense group of Dahlin, Power, Muel, Clifton, Joker, Lyubushkin, Stillman, E Johnson, Bryson is not going to be the final configuration.  

 

[nfreeman]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Hopefully since we aren’t using any assets to supplement D or F, we package some for a goalie 

we have so many assets 

Now this sounds like Tim Murray with coins burning a hole in his pocket.

 

1 hour ago, Curt said:

That’s a full group.  One of Stillman / Bryson getting traded or waived.

I agree, and I think that means they either keep 8 D, or keep 7 D and waive the other one of Stillman/Bryson.  It's reasonably likely that both would clear waivers (and Bryson is close to a lock to clear IMHO), at which point they become good depth in Rochester.

Dahlin-Mule

Power-Clifton/Joki

Johnson/Loobie - Clifton/Joki

 

Johnson/Loobie

 

Stillman-Bryson

 

 

1 hour ago, RochesterExpat said:

Boston’s 2nd pair RD for the last few seasons.

He’s a real Top 4 guy. This isn’t a stretch of signing a 6th spot dude and hoping for the best.

 

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Pretty sure Clifton is going to get the Joki minutes since he profiles similarly.

I think Henri gets traded, but there’s no way he’s sitting for Stillman and he shouldn’t be sitting for Johnson unless Johnson has more left than I think.

I agree with much of both of these, but I put the odds of a Joki trade at less than 50% and I think there will be an ongoing competition between CC and Joki for the spot opposite Power.

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Now this sounds like Tim Murray with coins burning a hole in his pocket.

 

I agree, and I think that means they either keep 8 D, or keep 7 D and waive the other one of Stillman/Bryson.  It's reasonably likely that both would clear waivers (and Bryson is close to a lock to clear IMHO), at which point they become good depth in Rochester.

Dahlin-Mule

Power-Clifton/Joki

Johnson/Loobie - Clifton/Joki

 

Johnson/Loobie

 

Stillman-Bryson

 

 

 

I agree with much of both of these, but I put the odds of a Joki trade at less than 50% and I think there will be an ongoing competition between CC and Joki for the spot opposite Power.

Not at all. The comparison is a poor one. 

Timing different, asset pool different, NHL need different. Murray’s reputation far exceeds what he ever actually did here, too. One GM made 2 win-now trades and now “trades bad”

[dudacek]

7 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I want 8 NHL caliber defensemen and the bottom 4 to be equally capable on any given night.  Johnson can play 45'ish games and actually help in other ways.  Similar to Anderson's role the past few seasons.  

I think the current defense group of Dahlin, Power, Muel, Clifton, Joker, Lyubushkin, Stillman, E Johnson, Bryson is not going to be the final configuration.  

 

 

7 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I agree with much of both of these, but I put the odds of a Joki trade at less than 50% and I think there will be an ongoing competition between CC and Joki for the spot opposite Power.

I’m coming around more to the idea that down the stretch last year Don only had 4 defencemen he was comfortable playing.

He now has 5 and there is nothing wrong with Johnson, Stillman and Boosh fighting it out for #6 instead of Clague, Pilut and Bryson.

Still want a Pesce or a Hanifin, but we have improved our depth considerably.

Edited July 1, 2023 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

34 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

This signing is great. 

We won’t know this until after the season. 😉

 

[Happy Days]

Clifton had 208 hits and 120 blocked shots with only 93 shots on goal. He had 17:51 minutes per game last season. 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Happy Days

[Second Line Center]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Why? Samuelsson plays top pair and his numbers are similar. 

 

I don’t think he plays much against top lines like Muel does.  
 

Muel plays over 22 minutes a game.  
 

Clifton around 17.  

Don’t get me wrong I think he can play there in a pinch all I’m saying is we are still looking for a partner for Power.  

[Zamboni]

I like what I have read so far. I probably missed it… So is he a blockhead when it comes to taking penalties or is a pretty average/good?

[DarthEbriate]

4 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I like what I have read so far. I probably missed it… So is he a blockhead when it comes to taking penalties or is a pretty average/good?

I checked players with over 200 hits and his 60 PIMs are right around average. There are a couple players (Seider with 41 PIMs) on the low side, but most are right around 60 PIM if not way above.

[Zamboni]

1 minute ago, DarthEbriate said:

I checked players with over 200 hits and his 60 PIMs are right around average. There are a couple players (Seider with 41 PIMs) on the low side, but most are right around 60 PIM if not way above.

Thanks! Ok I feel better about this bozo now. 👍🏼
 

Bryson bu-bye

Stillman can stay for injury depth if need be. 
 

Today, the Sabres D improved.

[DarthEbriate]

I don't advocate splitting Muel-Dahlin, but with this pickup and Johnson, Granato can now get everyone on their natural side. Dahlin-Joker; Power-Clifton; Muel-Boushh/Johnson. Or, if Muel were to miss a couple games after blocking a shot, instead of playing Bryson, Dahlin could switch back to the left and have a RHD with him.

This signing makes good sense. I think Clifton is more a 2nd/3rd pairing tweener than what we might have wanted as the true top 4 RHD, but he's 28 and right in his prime. It's not an overcommitment in term, and he could turn playing with Power into a really nice $6M deal for himself by the time Novikov/Komarov/Strbak/McCarthy are ready to step into the Sabres lineup.

Edited July 1, 2023 by DarthEbriate

[Pimlach]

16 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I like what I have read so far. I probably missed it… So is he a blockhead when it comes to taking penalties or is a pretty average/good?

Clifton has 60 PIM last season, his highest total yet but he only had one fight.   Still, he tends to go off with someone.  He is tough.  He hits and he does not like  stuff happening around his goalie. 

One of the best middle weight fighters in the league IMO.  

Edited July 1, 2023 by Pimlach

[Zamboni]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

Clifton has 60 PIM last season, his highest total yet but he only had one fight.   He tends to go off with someone.  He is tough.  He hits and he does not like  stuff happening around his goalie. 

One of the best middle weight fighters in the league IMO.  

Thanks 

 

I personally couldn’t care less about him fighting. I do like the “stay away from my goalie” attitude however. As long as he doesn’t take selfish blockhead penalties doing it.

[Eleven]

9 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Clifton has 60 PIM last season, his highest total yet but he only had one fight.   Still, he tends to go off with someone.  He is tough.  He hits and he does not like  stuff happening around his goalie. 

One of the best middle weight fighters in the league IMO.  

 

6 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

Thanks 

 

I personally couldn’t care less about him fighting. I do like the “stay away from my goalie” attitude however. As long as he doesn’t take selfish blockhead penalties doing it.

Can he handle Lucic if necessary, is the question.

[Zamboni]

Just now, Eleven said:

 

Can he handle Lucic if necessary, is the question.

See, I view Lucic as such a non factor. I couldn’t care less if anyone can or can’t “fight and handle” Lucic.  But maybe that’s just me.

[DarthEbriate]

2 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Can he handle Lucic if necessary, is the question.

No. Not in a fight. But I'll bet he crushes Marchand on more than one occasion this season just for the hell of it.

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, Eleven said:

 

Can he handle Lucic if necessary, is the question.

Probably will hang in there fine.  Better him than Dahlin or Krebs.  

Just now, Zamboni said:

See, I view Lucic as such a non factor. I couldn’t care less if anyone can or can’t “fight and handle” Lucic.  But maybe that’s just me.

Agree.  Lucic is a manikin on skates but still capable of dirty stuff.  (Still thinking of the Miller hit).  

 

When the Sabres start to consistently win you can bet that certain players and teams will try to intimidate them.  Close teams that support can overcome this.  Having a good power play is nice too.  

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Pretty sure @PerreaultForever has been banging this drum for months.

He’ll be happy.

Yes! I mentioned Clifton as the best value guy to target way back when free agency was first discussed. I wanted 2 D men signed but Clifton is a perfect fit for what we need and what we want to do going forward. 

 

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Doesn't Power rank really high in entry denials? I bet we see Power as the rooming denial defender and Clifton as the defender who is behind him in case he loses or there's a passing option. 

This signing is great. 

Correct. I think Clifton pairs perfectly with Power and he will allow Power to open up his offensive game more and be more aggressive. 

The upside: He's tough and hits like a ton of bricks and does it frequently. Pound for pound probably the most physical Bruin last year. He is very good in transition and has more than enough speed to fit into the Sabres style seamlessly. He might even thrive in it and increase his offensive numbers. Has a decent shot and is a good passer. He is a real high effort work hard team guy who will scrap and stand up for teammates whenever needed (at least he was in Boston). 

The downside: He isn't big and the lack of reach makes him less than perfect defending in front. His biggest flaw is he has a tendency to over pursue the big hit and can get caught out of position as a result. A little of the Risto flaw in a way. In a highly structured good defensive team like Boston he got away with this more often than not. IF we still play that loose and open style we did last year this MIGHT make him run around too much and he might struggle more as he is the type of guy to try too hard and try to do too much. Hopefully, that won't happen but if it does his game might fall apart and he will drop to bottom pairing value at best.

I think however, it's a really good add and makes us better instantly.

(Bruins fans refer to him as "Cliffy", do with that what you will )

[French Collection]

I like this pickup.

He’s got a few good years in front of him. 
Grit, defensive ability and good on the PK. Those are all qualities the Sabres needed.

DG can deploy him with Power and Clifton can worry about protecting the house.