Bruins bring back Connor Clifton, Jordan Harris on new deals

A tough blueliner is coming back to New England.

On the opening day of NHL free agency, the Boston Bruins announced that the team has signed defenseman Connor Clifton to a two-year contract. The deal carries an AAV of $2.25 million through the 2027-28 campaign. The team also signed defenseman Jordan Harris to a one-year, $850,000 contract.

It’ll be a nice return for Clifton, who spent the first five seasons of his NHL career with the Bruins. He signed with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins, as a free agent after playing for years at nearby Quinnipiac University. He would sign his first NHL deal with Boston in 2018 and work his way into the everyday lineup by the 2021 season. It was during the Bruins’ record-breaking 2022-23 season that Clifton had his most productive season, scoring five goals and 18 assists for 23 points. In his first stint with the B’s, Clifton scored 10 goals and 43 points in 232 regular-season games, posting 10 points in 46 Stanley Cup Playoff contests with the team.

After that season, he signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres, but after just two seasons, the Matawan, N.J. native was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Injuries and being a healthy scratch led to Clifton appearing in just 50 games, scoring two goals and four assists for six points. He ended up appearing in three of the team’s opening-round games against the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs, as the Pens were eliminated by their rivals in six games. He did not register a point, finishing a -3 rating while averaging 11:50 of ice time.

Across eight seasons in the league, the 31-year-old has appeared in 434 regular-season contests, scoring 17 goals and 66 assists for 83 points, with another 10 points in 49 postseason games.

Harris is coming off his first season with the Bruins, appearing in just eight games, scoring a goal and three points. In 172 career NHL games, he has posted 10 goals and 30 assists for 40 points.