Amid a bevy of moves to solidify the roster for this upcoming season, the Ontario Reign signed defenseman Jack Millar to a multi-year contract in the middle of this week.
The Reign made the official announcement on Wednesday that they signed Millar to a two-year AHL contract through the end of the 2027-28 season. This contract signing gives the Reign another young defenseman who can help to bolster the blue-line depth for this upcoming season.
Jack Millar gives the Ontario Reign another dependable blue-line option
Millar is coming off his second season playing for the Reign in the AHL. This past season, he missed over 30 games due to an injury, but he was very effective on the ice when he was healthy for the Reign. When he returned from the injury in February this past season, he was an effective and reliable defenseman who mostly paired with Joe Hicketts on the blue line.
Down the stretch, though, he was more often paired on the blue line with defenseman Nikita Novikov.
While Millar's offensive upside is limited, he's still proven to be able to contribute in spurts on that end of the ice. He scored goals in back-to-back games this past February for the Reign, which were his only two tallies of the regular season.
What Millar also brings is critical depth on the right side of the blue line. The Reign don't have many right-shot defenseman under contract at this point of the offseason at the position. By signing him to a multi-year contract, Ontario is ensuring stability on the blue line while giving itself another reliable veteran to support the team's younger defensemen over the next couple of seasons.
Millar may not be one of the Kings' top prospects, but retaining dependable AHL contributors is still an important part of building a successful development and minor league system. Millar's return gives the Reign another experienced defenseman who can help to stabilize the blue line while the franchise continues developing its next wave of talent.
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