Boston Bruins will have a tough decision to make with Connor Clifton
By Filip Canda
The Boston Bruins have an important task to handle in front of them. Wha’´s next for defenseman Connor Clifton? Brought in unexpectedly last season, Clifton continues to impress.
Last season in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Connor Clifton emerged as a pleasant surprise on the Bruins defense. A former fifth-round draft pick from 2013 by the Arizona Coyotes, nobody expected Clifton to emerge on the Bruins blue line around this time last season. Now, he is under contract for minimum money until 2023.
Yet, the 24-year-old right-shot defenseman has worked his way out to be a highly reliable third-pair rearguard for his team. So far this season, Clifton has appeared in 21 games, recording two goals, one of those came in his home state New Jersey last week.
Connor Clifton skated in 315.68 minutes of the ice-time, and his defensive stats are impressive. His xGA per 60 minutes is at 2.21 and his goals-against per 60 minutes is at 1.94. With those he ranks better than Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy, and Zdeno Chara.
His CA per game is at 54.61, which ranks only below Chara, and Urho Vaakanainen, who has only played in five contests. All stats are at even strength.
More than his stats, Clifton’s skating has been impressive so far. Also, “Cliffy Hockey” plays a physical style of hockey. For a third-pair defenseman, there are not many things Clifton does to upset Bruce Cassidy.
However, there is a significant subject on the horizon. Clifton has missed only three games, as Steven Kampfer jumped in for him in relief. Kampfer has not been satisfying enough to substitute Clifton on a long-term basis.
Kevan Miller suffered a setback in his recovery and is expected to miss at least another couple of weeks. Originally, Clifton came to the defensive lineup because of Miller’s absence.
Clifton is only two games away from becoming waiver-eligible. If he plays two more games, the Bruins cannot send him down to the AHL without clearing waivers. If the Bruins send him down, another team will certainly claim him.
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What’s next for Clifton? If he continues to play well, he will be a regular in the Bruins’ lineup, even with veterans like Miller and Kampfer sitting in the press box.
However, if Clifton struggles, the Bruins will have to make a tough decision. Will they insert a veteran in a lineup and potentially take away from Clifton’s development? We’ll see what happens once everybody gets healthy.