With the University of Minnesota ousted early from the NCAA tournament, Ryan Collins has decided to turn pro and sign a three-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. One would assume the deal kicks in for next season, since he’ll be reporting to the Cleveland Monsters for this weekend. If it were for this year, he would burn a year of the deal in the last few days of the season.
Collins is a massive defender who was selected in the second round of the 2014 draft, and has only gotten bigger since draft day. Standing at 6’5″, he has the frame and body type to play a heavy game in his own zone and lean on attackers in front of the net. His strength and size are his biggest assets, as he struggles offensively and can be out-skilled at times in his own end. Scoring just nine points in 36 games for the Golden Gophers this season, he was used almost exclusively in defensive situations but actually recorded the top +/- rating among defenders on his team. While Jake Bischoff quarterbacked the powerplay, Collins anchored a penalty kill that was very successful.
With the Blue Jackets’ young defense corps under control long-term, there is no rush to bring Collins to the NHL. They can let him develop even further physically and work on his skating ability in the AHL, perhaps becoming another quality defender for their system in a few years. Right-handed, he could nicely slot into the bottom pair behind Seth Jones and David Savard down the road. He’ll have to take another few big steps to get there though, and joining the professional ranks will test his ability right away.