C.R. RoughRiders going with the group they’ve had

CEDAR RAPIDS - Sometimes the best trade is the trade never made at all.

While their nearest division rivals made significant player additions at Monday's United States Hockey League trade deadline, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders stood pat.

Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson chose to ride the rest of the season with the boys he has. The Riders host Madison and Green Bay this weekend.

'Sometimes there can be a difference between the people, the human beings and the hockey player,” Carlson said. 'We like our people. We think we have good, quality people that all care about this team and want to get better. Then we think we have good players, have good depth.

'We think we have time to continue to improve, get better as individuals and as a team. We thought the best thing to do was to keep our guys together here. That gives us the best chance to get into the playoffs, first of all, and then go from there.”

The RoughRiders have led the Eastern Conference all season and had the most standings points in the league most of the season. They've been surpassed by Sioux City in the latter category and are just a point up on Youngstown in the division, with the Phantoms owning a game in hand. Muskegon is six points back of Cedar Rapids - which has 12 regular-season games remaining - and Dubuque seven. Those four teams appear to be playoff locks in the East.

Youngstown, Muskegon and Dubuque all swung Monday trades that added immediate help at the potential expense of the future. They traded away players who had been with their respective teams all season, as well as future draft picks and/or affiliate list players.

Carlson simply chose not to go that route.

'First of all, I don't like to make trades,” he said. 'It's junior hockey, this is not pro hockey. Having said that, obviously we have made trades, and, at times, we will. We have, and we will, but I don't like doing it.”

For instance, Cedar Rapids traded for forward Joe Wegwerth a little over a month ago from Green Bay, surrendering 2015 draft picks. Those picks were superfluous, however, having been accumulated in previous trades.

Carlson was asked how fine the line is for a general manager in looking out for the future of the club while also having an inclination to 'go for it” with a deal that might put it over the top right now.

'It's a great topic,” he said. 'We believe, and take a lot of pride in, having a good, solid, competitive team every year, (one) to where we can make a run at (a championship). We don't see any value in being good one year and then not being good the next year. There's no value in that whatsoever. But we are trying to win every year.

'We like our team this year, and we've got to continue to keep getting better. We think we have a good mix, a good plan for next year and the year after. We want to have a good club every year, and that's what our fan base wants.”

On the positive side, Carlson said every player on the roster is available this weekend, the first time that's happened since December. Forwards Andrew Gaus (sickness) and Adam Gaudette and Andrew Oglevie (injuries) all sat out last weekend but are back and ready for action.

'The bottom line is we haven't had a full lineup since mid-December,” Carlson said. 'We think we're going to keep getting better. Keep getting better until the end of the year, keep learning. We think we have great chemistry on our team.

'Every single player has to improve. That's it. They have to be committed ... If every player improves himself the rest of the way, we don't need to make any trades. Team chemistry is like adding a 25-goal scorer.”

Cedar Rapids dropped from first to fourth in the latest USHL power ratings, sponsored by USA Hockey Magazine and released Thursday. The Gazette's Jeff Johnson is part of a panel of sportswriters who cover the league and vote in the poll.

Click on 'Power Rankings” icon at top right of this post to view the entire rankings.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com