Penguins Trade with Buffalo; Get Clifton & 2nd Rounder (Peyton Kettles)
The Pittsburgh Penguins were not done working the phones. General Manager Kyle Dubas made two trades in the first round of the NHL Draft and then began Day 2 by making a trade with the Buffalo Sabres to get back into the second round.
The Penguins traded restricted free agent defenseman Conor Timmins and Wheeling Nailers defenseman Isaac Belliveau to Buffalo in exchange for defenseman Connor Clifton and Buffalo’s second-round pick. With that pick, the Penguins selected raw defenseman Peyton Kettles from the Swift Current Broncos.
At the very least, this is a win for Dubas’s asset management. He acquired Timmins and Connor Dewar at the NHL trade deadline from the Toronto Maple Leafs for only a fifth-round choice. The summer of Dubas’s handiwork is: a fifth-round pick for Dewar, Clifton, and a second-round pick (Kettles).
Generally, the scouting services ranked Kettles in the 60s, and the Penguins took him with the 39th pick, but that’s been par for the weekend as all of the Penguins’ first four picks, including Kettles, ranked might lower than their selection.
Kettles is a big, right-handed defenseman at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds. However, he does not play with much sandpaper. Instead, the defenseman chooses a steady, quiet game, which can sometimes appear invisible. With Swift Current, he’s playing 22 minutes per game and on both special teams. According to Neutral Zone Scouting, Kettles averages 1.89 blocked shots per game and nine takeaways per game.
Despite the scouting reports, Kettles touted his desire and enjoyment of playing a physical game.
“My favorite part of my game is how well I skate, and I’m able to maneuver around guys skating on the ice,” said Kettles. “I also love being physical and being able to hit guys and do that part of the game as well.”
Kettles also played with 2022 Penguins first-round pick Owen Pickering at Swift Current.
“I definitely have a really good relationship with Owen. Definitely started my Western League career with him, and we were D partners for a long time,” Kettles said. “So, I’m definitely happy to reunite with him.
The D-man is a Winnipeg Native and played for Team Canada in the U-18 Hlinka Cup last season.
Clifton is a defenseman who hasn’t reached the offensive defenseman potential that was forecast while he played for Quinnipiac in the ECAC. At this point in his career, Clifton is a disposable third-pairing righty defenseman whose career high is five goals.
In 73 games with Buffalo last season, Clifton had one goal and 15 assists.
Categorized:Penguins Penguins Trade Talk
“Dubas turned a fifth-round pick into Dewar, Clifton, and a second-round pick (Kettles)”. So, that’s pretty good.
Asset management is superb as long as the result is a net add.
After the first 9 or 10 picks, this draft isn’t following the expert’s prospects rankings much at all for many teams. So I’ve stopped worrying about where they were projected to get picked. I see the strategy for day one and think they accomplished the goals. Kettles reminds me of Marcus Pettersson and if he develops along those lines I’m good with the pick. I have no idea but think we may be happy with this draft in a few years.
The only thing more speculative than NHL Draft rankings is the MLB Draft rankings.
Yeah, I don’t believe team scouts even bother to read the “expert” lists, every team has it’s own ranking and go with it, they meet players all year long and value what they see and talk to.
I don’t think buffaloes have a fleece, but they just lost theirs. Nifty bit of larceny from K. Dubas. I like Timmins, but I truly don’t see what the Sabres were doing here
Clifton may be a disposable 3rd pairing defenseman, but at least he plays defense better than nearly every blue liner on the NHL club.
I know nothing about this kid except for what I just read. A big kid with a quiet steady, shutdown type of game. A little like a Brian Dumoulin maybe? Petterson seems like a good comp. For the older gents such as myself, maybe he develops into a kjell Samuelson type of guy. Nothing wrong with that
This was more about the 2nd round pick than Clifton. He’ll probably be in WBS. Kudos to Dubas for turning a 5th round pick into Dewar, Clifton and a 2nd.
Needed a Ferrari (Paterka), got a Yugo (Clifton) instead.
Pens need prospects, a lot.
Numbnutz troll.
Always with the negative waves, moriarity..
Wanna bet this team will finish in last place, brah?
Why bet? That is 100% what rebuilding do, lose. Accept it and you have nothing more to complain about. The penguins have been through this before.
True the Penguins have been through this before; 1984 and 2004. However in 2025 GMKD has no savior on the horizon. It’s certainly not his fault that there is no Third Coming but it does mean he has to be especially aware that without a Mario or a Sid arriving to save the day he needs to be extremely careful about where he inserts the scalpel in this reconstructive surgery he’s been charged with performing. Dr. Dubas doesn’t have the luxury his predecessors had in always having a Mount Rushmore icon to fall back on. Those days are over and… Read more »
You are addicted to metaphors. The team had to stink for a number of years before they earned the lottery picks to finish building the team. That part is just starting now. The process has been delayed because of the team being in the middle of the pack as far as competing for a playoff spot. Hopefully that phase is over now so that the rebuild can actually begin. It seems like forever since i have seen playoff hockey.
Robert, some have a talent for playing ice hockey; others for crafting metaphors. Addiction is in the eye of the beholder. As for my metaphor free point, the Penguins franchise history is not typical because of the presence of 4-5 iconic players. Thus the rebuilding process is not as mundane as it would be for one of the other 31 teams. (Only Edmonton and Colorado have sn equivalent future to worry about.) Thus, Dubas’s rebuild is different in that he must be better than his peers. The rebuild in Pittsburgh has to be better because we expect better. I’m spoiled… Read more »
I am losing track of all of the players named Conor (Connor).
Timmons is better than Clifton. This doesn’t solve or help anything.
Issac was buried in WB and was still young, but not sure how comparable to Kettles.
For the person who gave me a negative that’s fine, but please explain. I would love to hear how Clifton is better or solves things.
Or how Isaac is not buried in WB (meant to say Wheeling) and still young and how I don’t know how he is comparable to Kettles.
You got the neg because you didn’t conform to the norm. Wave your black-and-gold pom-poms, dammit!
People have other opinions and disagree. It isn’t about conforming. People who get butthurt over someone disagreeing with them don’t belong here.
I only gave you a minus after you complained about the original minus. To answer one of your questions though, the trade wasnt to solve anything. We have seen this before. Dubas wanted the 2nd round pick, so he took Clifton. Timmons was part of the trade because there was no room on the roster any longer. It was not about which player was better at all. This is part of the process. No one is going to like it.
Clifton just became the Pens most physical d man.
Makes zero sense to pig out on draft picks after round three. Clogs up the pipeline with young suspects who are gifted opportunities at the expense of more experienced players with greater upside.
I predict Dubas will build an incredible WBS team with these money-ball picks. However, the NHL club will not benefit from the brave gambles. Dubas seems to enjoy being contrarian but his track record on drafting NHL difference makers over his 8 years of GM is horrendous. This year will likely be more of the same for the drunk gambler playing with other people’s chips.
I like this trade. Timmins was fine, but honestly I like Clifton more. Clifton throws a lot hits and will fight, and Timmins, well, doesn’t.
Clifton probably a one yer fill in until Brunicke is ready from WBS.