Boston Bruins: Connor Clifton is a highly underated asset on defense

Connor Clifton seemed like an afterthought in the Boston Bruins system a year ago. Fast forward to now, and he’s a valuable part of Boston’s defense.

Phoenix drafted Connor Clifton in the 5th round in 2013, but he became a free agent after four years with Quinnipiac. He signed with the Boston Bruins and reported to Providence.

After parts of two seasons in Providence, Clifton made his NHL debut last November. He ended up playing 19 regular season games for the Bruins last year.

Then, Clifton stepped up his game in the playoffs. He played 18 playoff games with Boston and finished with two goals and three assists.

The Bruins rewarded Clifton with a new three-year contract this offseason. His annual cap hit is $1 million.

This new deal gives Clifton a nice pay bump, but it could still turn out to be a steal for Boston.

Clifton proved himself to be a valuable asset on defense last year. He never looked out of place after Bruce Cassidy plugged him into the lineup. Young defensemen usually have a steep learning curve, but Clifton was a bit of an exception.

He averaged almost 18 minutes on ice last year in the regular season. He only had one assist, but he did finish as a +5. Clifton looked like an NHL regular, and he earned more playing time as a result.

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Clifton really elevated his play in the playoffs. How many rookie defensemen, after fewer than 20 games of NHL experience, can handle virtually an entire postseason run? He provided the Bruins with the extra backend depth needed for a trip to the Final.

Fresh of his experiences last season, Clifton starts this season with relatively high expectations. He’ll likely be a fixture in Boston’s lineup all season.

Clifton provides value to the Bruins in a number of ways. First, he skates well for a defenseman. He can keep up with the speedy forwards who dominate the modern-day game. This will be especially important against teams like Toronto and Tampa Bay.

Also, Clifton can be sneaky physical from the backend. He doesn’t have great size by any means, but that doesn’t stop him from stepping up in the neutral zone when necessary.

Third, consider Clifton’s new contract. A $1 million dollar cap hit is a great number for a young, bottom-pair defenseman. Teams need flexibility with a hard salary cap, and Clifton’s contract provides just that.

So far, Clifton’s played in five of Boston’s six games. He usually lines up with Matt Grzelcyk on the third defense pairing. Clifton’s looked decent out there, but there is still a lot of room for him to grow.

Clifton missed his first game when Steven Kampfer replaced him on Monday against the Ducks. Cassidy wanted to send a message to Clifton early in the season.

Don’t take this message as a bad sign. Cassidy knows what to expect from Clifton, so he’ll do whatever he can to help Clifton reach these expectations. He knows that Clifton can and will be a big piece for the team this year.

Successful teams always have talent and depth on the backend. The NHL season’s a grind, so teams can’t only rely on two to three players to get the job done. They need a capable six-man unit to handle the schedule.

As a result, young players like Clifton can make a big difference over the course of a season. We’ll see how the season plays out, but Clifton already looks the part.