The Kings have made their first move of the trade deadline, but it’s not the one you want.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Kings traded forward Tyler Madden to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Joseph Cecconi.

Back in 2020, Madden was the main piece that came to the Kings in the Tyler Toffoli trade. Since then, Madden has played 251 games for the Ontario Reign, posting 128 points.

While Madden never panned out for the Kings, he had some monumental moments in Ontario, including his game winning goal in game two of the first round of the 2024 Playoffs against the Bakersfield Condors.

For Ontario, their surplus of  forwards was a concern. Head coach Marco Sturm was forced to rotate guys in and out of the lineup, including prospects like Aatu Jamsen.

Coming to the Kings organization is defenseman Joseph Cecconi, who the Reign saw earlier this season. Cecconi has two goals and twelve assists this season with the Iowa Wild. One of the goals came against the Reign in Ontario.

With six AHL seasons under his belt, Ontario hopes Cecconi can help mentor a young core of blueliners. Additionally, Angus Booth, Caleb Jones, and Cole Krygier have all recently gone down with injuries. Cecconi will help fill that depth in the meantime. 

Both players will report to their organization's AHL affiliates.

The Reign will see Madden soon, when they travel to Iowa to face the Wild on March 22nd and 23rd.