Penguins acquire defenseman Connor Clifton, 2nd-round pick in trade with Sabres

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Penguins acquire defenseman Connor Clifton, 2nd-round pick in trade with Sabres

Seth Rorabaugh | Saturday, June 28, 2025 12:54 p.m.

In 73 games with the Sabres last season, defenseman Connor Clifton scored 16 points (one goal, 15 assists).

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Connor Clifton and a second-round selection (No. 39 overall) in the ongoing NHL Draft from the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday in exchange for defenseman Conor Timmins and defensive prospect Isaac Belliveau.

With that draft pick, the Penguins selected defenseman Peyton Kettles from the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos.

Clifton, 30, appeared in 73 games with the Sabres last season and scored 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) while averaging 16:03 of ice time per contest.

Buffalo goal!

Scored by Connor Clifton with 00:08 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Peyton Krebs and Jack Quinn.

Tampa Bay: 1Buffalo: 2#BUFvsTBL #GoBolts #SabreHood pic.twitter.com/BtZgdMUBkx

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 13, 2025

A physical defender, Clifton led the Sabres with 208 hits last season.

Clifton vs Gudas after Gudas hit Zucker. #sabrehood #flytogether pic.twitter.com/Nks1QTwcoO

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) November 23, 2024

A right-handed shot, Clifton (5-foot-11, 196 pounds) is entering the final year of a three-year contract with a salary cap hit of $3,333,333. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

Timmins’ tenure with the Penguins was brief. Acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 7, Timmins skated in 17 games for the Penguins and scored seven points (one goal, six assists) while averaging 18:43 of ice time.

He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent Tuesday.

Belliveau, 22, was a fifth-round draft pick (No. 154 overall) of the Penguins in 2021. He split the 2024-25 season between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League and Wheeling of the ECHL.

In 22 AHL games, he scored seven points (one goal, six assists). At the ECHL level, he skated in 25 contests and posted 16 points (four goals, 12 assists).

A left-handed shot, Belliveau (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) is entering the final year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $875,000. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in 2026.

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