(Photo Credits: Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)

By: Ryan Jainchill | Follow me on Twitter / X @Jainchill_Ryan

The Boston Bruins and defenseman Connor Clifton have agreed to a two-year contract with a cap hit of $2.25 million per season, the team announced today. This marks the return of Clifton to Boston after three seasons split between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Clifton, 31, played his first five NHL seasons with the Bruins from 2018 to 2023. Over that time, he appeared in 232 regular season games, recording 10-33-43 as a plus 37. His best season in Boston was in 2022-23, his final season before hitting free agency, when, in 78 games, he posted a career-high 5-18-23 and was a plus-20.

In his postseason career with the Bruins, he appeared in 46 playoff games, recording 4-6-10. During the 2019 postseason, the year the Bruins made it to game seven of the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the St. Louis Blues, Clifton had 2-3-5 in 18 games.

After departing the Bruins, Clifton inked a three-year contract with the Sabres. In two seasons with Buffalo, he played in 152 games, notching 5-29-34. To end his second season with the Sabres, Clifton was traded to Pittsburgh, where in 50 games last season, he had 2-4-6.

With Clifton’s return, the Bruins add to their right-handed defenseman depth, which, coming into the offseason, was their biggest area of need. Clifton is not a game-breaker, but with his ability to be physical and block shots, he is a quality option for Head Coach Marco Sturm on the backend and may replace Andrew Peeke, who remains unsigned as of now.