CONNOR CLIFTON NEWS

Produces helper Sunday Clifton logged a shorthanded assist, two shots on goal, two hits and two PIM in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Jets.

Impact Clifton helped out on an Alex Tuch tally in the third period, which ended up being the game-winner. The 29-year-old Clifton has just two assists over 12 outings in March as he continues to log bottom-four minutes. For the season, he's produced 10 assists, 49 shots on net, 170 hits, 88 blocked shots, 37 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 60 contests.

MARCH 24 • ROTOWIRE

Pockets assist in loss Clifton notched an assist, two shots on goal and four hits in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Sharks.

Impact Clifton has played in just five of eight games since returning from an illness in early February. He's part of a rotation of defensemen to fill a third-pairing role, and he appears to have the favor of head coach Lindy Ruff currently. With a Henri Jokiharju trade being a possibility before Friday's deadline, Clifton's playing time could become steady, though it won't make him a factor in fantasy. The 29-year-old blueliner has nine assists, 40 shots on net, 150 hits, 78 blocked shots and 31 PIM over 51 outings in a mediocre campaign so far.

MARCH 5 • ROTOWIRE

Moves past illness Clifton (illness) will return to the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jackets, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.

Impact Clifton will replace Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) in the lineup Tuesday and slot in on the second pairing next to Owen Power. Clifton has contributed eight helpers but has not found the back of the net across 46 appearances in 2024-25.

FEBRUARY 4 • ROTOWIRE

Won't play Sunday Clifton (illness) won't be in the lineup for Sunday's game against New Jersey, according to Heather Engel of NHL.com.

Impact Clifton will miss his third straight game due to an illness after being a healthy scratch versus Edmonton on Jan. 25. However, he could be an option for Tuesday's matchup versus Columbus after participating in Saturday's practice. The 29-year-old defender has produced eight assists, 36 shots on goal, 69 blocked shots and 134 hits through 46 appearances this season. Once healthy, Clifton could replace Jacob Bryson in the lineup.

FEBRUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE

Not playing Friday Clifton (illness) will not play versus Nashville on Friday, according to Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550.

Impact Clifton has sat out Tuesday against the Bruins with the illness and has lost a lot of weight, precluding him from playing against the Predators. Clifton has eight assists, 134 hits and 69 blocked shots in 46 contests this season.

JANUARY 31 • ROTOWIRE

Adds helper in win Clifton notched an assist, four hits and two PIM in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Hurricanes.

Impact Clifton ended a 10-game point drought when he set up the first goal of Ryan McLeod's hat trick just 43 seconds into the contest. The Sabres' defense is fully healthy for the first time recently, so Clifton will have to keep his performance up to avoid losing playing time to Dennis Gilbert or Jacob Bryson. Clifton has eight assists, 33 shots on net, 29 PIM, 123 hits, 65 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating through 42 appearances this season and likely won't score enough to help in fantasy.

JANUARY 16 • ROTOWIRE

Sends assist in loss Clifton posted an assist, two hits and four blocked shots in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Maple Leafs.

Impact Clifton snapped his personal five-game slump when he helped out on a John-Jason Peterka goal in the second period. Clifton was scratched once recently (Dec. 15 versus Toronto), but he has generally held onto a third-pairing role. He has seven helpers, 25 shots on net, 93 hits, 52 blocked shots and 23 PIM over 31 outings. More scratches could be on the way as head coach Lindy Ruff tries to figure out the right combinations on the blue line to snap the Sabres' losing streak.

DECEMBER 21, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Stays warm with helper Clifton logged an assist and nine hits in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Jets.

Impact Clifton played a physical role and still had time to help out on a Dylan Cozens tally in the first period. This was Clifton's third helper over the last four games. The 29-year-old blueliner is at six assists, 19 shots on net, 19 PIM, 80 hits and 39 blocked shots through 25 outings overall, playing primarily on the Sabres' third pairing.

DECEMBER 6, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Another Colorado comeback: Avalanche rally from 4-goal deficit this time in 5-4 win over Sabres

The Colorado Avalanche continue to struggle with slow starts this season

DECEMBER 4, 2024 • Associated Press

Chips in with assist Clifton logged an assist, four hits and two blocked shots in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Canucks.

Impact Clifton snapped an eight-game point drought with the helper. He's seen steady minutes on the third pairing this season, though his spot could be challenged once Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) is activated from injured reserve. Clifton has four helpers, 19 shots on net, 19 PIM, 65 hits and 37 blocked shots over 22 contests, so his appeal in fantasy is limited to formats with an emphasis on non-scoring production.

NOVEMBER 30, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Pockets helper in win Clifton notched an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Rangers.

Impact Clifton appears to be a regular on the Sabres' blue line -- he's been scratched in just one of the team's first 14 games. Henri Jokiharju and Mattias Samuelsson have fallen out of favor with leaky defense, and considering the Sabres have allowed just two goals over two games with those two out of the lineup, Clifton shouldn't be facing an immediate challenge for playing time. Clifton has three assists, 11 shots on net, 35 hits, 22 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over 13 contests in a third-pairing role.

NOVEMBER 8, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Supplies assist Saturday Clifton notched an assist and four hits in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Impact Clifton has picked up two assists over seven contests this season. He's been a fixture on the Sabres' third pairing, doing enough to keep Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert in the press box as healthy scratches. Clifton has added eight shots on net, 18 hits and five blocked shots. His highest point total in a season is 23 from the 2022-23 campaign, and he's also topped 200 hits in each of the last two years, so he could be useful in deep fantasy formats that reward the rough stuff.

OCTOBER 20, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Empty-netter seals win Clifton scored an empty-net goal to seal Sunday's 4-1 win over the Flames.

Impact The empty-netter is Clifton's third goal and 16th point of the campaign. The defender's minutes have gone up and down, but his offensive production hasn't been significant. In the 14 games before Sunday, he had just a goal and two assists. Moreover, he was held without a single shot six times.

MARCH 25, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Pots game-winner Friday Clifton scored the game-winning goal in Friday's 2-1 victory over the Blue Jackets.

Impact It was the 28-year-old defender's first goal in nearly a calendar year and first in a Sabres jersey, and it was also his first career GWG. Clifton snapped a 16-game point drought with the tally, but offense has never been a big part of his game. He's been a solid stay-at-home addition to Buffalo's blue line this season, racking up 141 hits, 79 blocked shots and 60 PIM in 54 contests with a plus-6 rating while also chipping in 12 points.

FEBRUARY 24, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Connor Clifton breaks tie with his 1st goal in nearly a year, Sabres beat Blue Jackets 2-1 Connor Clifton broke a third-period tie with his first goal in nearly a year, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 stops and the Buffalo Sabres beat...

FEBRUARY 24, 2024 • SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.COM

Big night against Toronto Clifton picked up two assists while adding four hits, two shots on net, a blocked shot and a plus-5 rating in Thursday's 9-3 rout of the Maple Leafs.

Impact The former Bruin hadn't been in the black in plus-minus all season until Thursday, when he erased a minus-4 mark in one fell swoop. Clifton has been a multi-category monster of late, producing seven assists, 15 hits, 11 blocked shots, six shots on goal, five PIM and a plus-8 rating over the last eight games, but the stay-at-home blueliner doesn't see power-play time and is tough to roster in fantasy formats that focus only on points.

DECEMBER 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Delivers assist Friday Clifton notched an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Friday's 5-2 win over the Golden Knights.

Impact Clifton helped out on Casey Mittelstadt's game-tying goal in the third period. With five helpers over his last five games, Clifton has chipped in some unexpected offense from the third pairing. The 28-year-old has just seven assists all season while adding 63 hits, 44 PIM, 32 blocked shots, 21 shots on net and a minus-4 rating over 28 contests. He'll likely continue to play regularly, but he's not a player that should be relied on for point production.

DECEMBER 16, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Chips in with two assists Clifton posted two assists in Monday's 5-2 home win against the Coyotes.

Impact Clifton ended up with a plus-2 rating, one shot on goal and three hits in 17:11 of ice time across 21 shifts. The 28-year-old rearguard is on quite the roll, posting four assists with a plus-4 rating during his current three-game point streak. The defenseman has posted points in three straight games for the first time since Oct. 12-17, 2022 as a member of the Bruins. He'll look to make it four straight games with a point on Wednesday night against the Avalanche.

DECEMBER 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE