RoughRiders acquire speedy forward, NHL draft pick Bachman

CEDAR RAPIDS - Read the scouting reports on Karch Bachman, and there's one common theme. The kid can skate.

Sounds like a perfect fit for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

The Riders acquired the 18-year-old forward, a 2015 fifth-round draft pick of the NHL's Florida Panthers, Thursday from the Chicago Steel. It's his third United States Hockey League team this season.

He played five games for the Green Bay Gamblers, who dealt him to Chicago. He also has two USHL games under his belt with Tri-City in the 2013-14 season.

'I've enjoyed my time in every place so far, and I expect to here in Cedar Rapids, too,” Bachman said, after getting his first Cedar Rapids practice in Thursday afternoon. He hadn't even met his billet family, yet.

'Obviously I'm sad to leave Chicago, after being there so long. And leaving for the reason I did, because we were out of a playoff spot,” he said. 'It's my last year (of juniors), so they needed to move me on and hopefully rebuild for next year. But I'm very excited to be here and be part of a winning organization. I think it's going to be great, and I think we've got a good chance to win the whole thing.”

That's got to be music to Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson's ears.

'He competes, he's got speed, is a good character person,” Carlson said. 'He has shown the ability to score. We think Karch makes us a better team. He's really good on the penalty kill, has three short-handed goals, so he's going to help us there.”

The RoughRiders go into this weekend leading the USHL in standings points (53), on a 25-10-3 record. But they are only seven points clear of a playoff spot in a compact and very good Eastern Conference.

Dubuque and Green Bay are tied for second place with 48 points, followed closely by Youngstown and Bloomington. Only four of those clubs will qualify for the playoffs.

Cedar Rapids hosts Madison at 7:05 Friday night, then travels to Dubuque for a Saturday night game.

The Riders gave up a second-round pick in Phase I of the 2016 USHL Draft and a fourth-rounder in Phase II. They get back a Phase I sixth-rounder and Phase II seventh-rounder.

A winger, Bachman has 12 goals in 29 games this season. He will begin his collegiate career next season at Miami (Ohio).

'I've played against Cedar Rapids three times this year, and that's the biggest thing I noticed: speed, transition,” Bachman said. 'Every guy on this team has speed, and they use it to their advantage. I think that's a big part of the identity in Cedar Rapids.”

In another move, Cedar Rapids traded forward Tyler Irvine to the Muskegon Lumberjacks in exchange for a 2016 Phase II eighth-round draft pick. Irvine had three goals and two assists in 26 games for the RoughRiders.

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