The Buffalo Sabres opened Saturday’s second round of the NHL draft with a trade, sending defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau.
Timmins, 26 (6′ 2″, 214lbs) is a pending restricted free agent. His previous cap hit was $1.1 million. This past season, the St. Catharines, Ontario native appeared in 68 games, putting up 15 points and 30 penalty minutes between Toronto and Pittsburgh. He was originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche, 32nd overall, in 2017 and is a right-shot defenseman.
Here’s his AI-generated report card –
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Conor Timmins received mixed reviews for his 2024-25 season. While he started strong with the Penguins after being acquired from Toronto, his overall impact was positive, especially in a limited sample size. He is a restricted free agent and the Penguins were expected to try to re-sign him.
Penguins: Timmins played 17 games for the Penguins, scoring one goal and six assists (7 points). He was a +9 in those games, with one Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article noting a positive overall impact on the team’s defense, even at even strength and on the penalty kill. Sportsnet reported that he also scored his first goal with the Penguins.
Toronto: Prior to being traded to Pittsburgh, Timmins played 51 games for the Maple Leafs, totaling 8 points. His play in Toronto was more inconsistent, with some reports highlighting a mixed impact and others mentioning specific instances where his play was criticized.
Belliveau, 22, is a left-shot defenseman who will likely head to the Rochester Americans. He’s in the final year of his contract, set to earn $875,000. Belliveau was originally drafted 154th overall by the Penguins in 2021. He split this past season between the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers.