The NHL Tradeline is on March 7th and it looks like the LA Kings will hit the ground running. Per a team press release, the Kings have completed a trade with the Minnesota Wild sending forward Tyler Madden to Minnesota in exchange for defenseman Joseph Cecconi.
Both players have been playing for their clubs’ minor league affiliates in the AHL with Madden skating with the Ontario Reign and Cecconi playing 51 games for the Iowa Wild this season.
In that span, Cecconi has two goals and 12 assists, totaling 14 points. He has also recorded a +5 plus/minus and 41 penalty minutes.
The 6’3, 210-pound American defenseman played his college hockey at the University of Michigan and was drafted in the 5th round (133rd overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars.
LA Kings Trade For Joseph Cecconi, Why?
I will be curious to learn the reasoning behind this trade as both players are unlikely to see playing time in the NHL this season. And if one were to get called up, the Kings need more firepower on offense, so keeping Madden who has recorded 25 points for the Reign so far this season seems more on par with what the Kings need.
Also Read: NHL Insiders Share LA Kings Chances Of Landing Top Target Ahead Of NHL Trade Deadline
Regardless, this move should not affect whether or not the Kings are buyers at the deadline. We have laid out some possible options of who they could target, including a splash for elite winger Mikko Rantanen if the Hurricanes can not get a long-term deal done before the deadline.
It is good to see the GM Rob Blake is manning the phones, but hopefully, there are bigger fireworks in the making.