Ryan Collins

December 2019 – The 23-year-old finds himself in a rotating AHL d-man position this season. Despite his full-time roll in the previous two years, it looks like the Monsters have been looking elsewhere to find their needs at the back-end. This could spell trouble for the shutdown blue-liner as he is currently in a contract year and is battling for an extension. While offence has never been his strong suit, his minus-23 rating and 79 penalty minutes through 133 games may not be enough to convince the organization. Whether he re-signs this summer or not, he carries no fantasy value at this point. Dave Hall

May 2019 – Collins finished this past season with nine points in 60 regular season games for Cleveland. Producing offense is not a strength for the 6-5 rearguard, so those numbers are pretty decent. He needs more development time and will be expected to stay in the AHL for a couple of more years to do that. Do not look here for fantasy value as a result. Frank Pellegrini

December 2018 – The Columbus Blue Jackets assigned Collins to the Cleveland Monsters in September. It will be his third campaign with the AHL club. He is a defensive-minded player with adequate size but he lacks the mobility required to play in the NHL. With two years remaining on his entry level contract, the Blue Jackets have time to audition him. Collins needs two or three years of development but has the potential to secure a bottom-six role in the NHL. Frank Pellegrini

December 2017 – Collins is not a scorer but a bruising and massive d-man who, at age 21, conceivably could add more bulk. While he skates from zone to zone reasonably quickly, as a steady and composed shutdown defender he occasionally loses shifty, quick forwards but can handle most opposing skaters well. Collins’ puck-moving and passing techniques are works in progress. Defense is his calling card. He closes gaps fast and effectively despite average skating speed, and uses his lengthy reach well to stifle rival forwards with pokechecks. A skilled shot-blocker, Collins strives to keep opponents out of the middle of the ice, frequently funneling them toward the boards and away from the net. After a brief, post-NCAA appearance in the AHL last year, Collins is finding his way as an American Leaguer this campaign having skated in about half of the Cleveland Monsters’ contests. Kevin Wickersham