Isaiah George

December 2025 – George was one of the final cuts from New York Islanders training camp, but his start in the American Hockey League (AHL) with Bridgeport was not smooth. Early on, he was paired with veteran Andrej Sustr, and the two never quite found their rhythm. In October, George went pointless and dropped to a -8 plus-minus before finally settling in once November arrived. That’s when things clicked. He put up one goal and three assists in six games and climbed back to a +3 on the season. His momentum was cut short when he took a high hit on November 14, 2025, against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He has not played since and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Given the Islanders’ long list of injuries this season, it is hard to believe George would not have been the first call-up if he were healthy. During that November surge, he was Bridgeport’s best defenseman by a wide margin. If he returns playing the same way, he will almost certainly earn another chance to push for an NHL spot before the season ends.

George is an incredibly talented player who just needed time to adjust to Head Coach Rocky Thompson’s system. Last season, he often had to force offense on his own to get on the scoresheet. This year, Thompson’s system rewards teamwork and relies on the forwards’ hard work in front of the net to generate chances. Once George embraced that shift, he simplified his game in all three zones and began looking like an all-star. His hockey IQ stands out; he is quick on his feet and processes the game at an elite level. The fact that he’s thriving in a system that’s the complete opposite of last year’s shows just how adaptable and coachable he really is. Kenny Kaminsky

June 2025- Isaiah George showed himself capable of patrolling an NHL blue line in 2024-2025. He played an equal number of games for the New York and Bridgeport Islanders (33), providing a goal and four assists at the NHL level, and four goals and 10 assists for the AHL squad. George paired mostly with Noah Dobson, spending 40% of his NHL minutes at even-strength beside him.

Even-strength was the only situation George featured in for the most part, as he didn’t see much time on either the powerplay or penalty kill units. Across an 82-game season, George’s stat line would have been two goals, 10 assists, 65 shots, 35 hits, and 84 blocks. For George to be a solid fantasy hold, he will need in increase his peripheral count if the offense stays muted. Still, for a young man who was 20 years old when the season started, and played just over 15 minutes a night as a rookie, there’s plenty of time for him to gain confidence and grow his repertoire. Alex Wyatt

November 2024 – George has had a whirlwind of a season so far. He started the season in the AHL and played four games, producing two points, a goal, and an assist. Before long, he made his debut in the NHL and played very well in six games. In two of his six games, he logged more than 23 minutes, and only played less than 18 minutes in one of those games. He has yet to log his first NHL point, but he has certainly garnered the attention of Patrick Roy and the Islanders brass. George has a very bright future in the league. William Langstaff

August 2024 – George is an under-the-radar prospect for the New York Islanders. By no means is he going to be a superstar at the NHL level, but he has been an effective two-way defenseman at the junior level for the London Knights. He brings a pretty strong defensive game with some mid-level offensive upside. This season, he will be entering his first-ever professional hockey season with the Bridgeport Islanders, which should offer some good insight into the 20-year-old’s readiness and timeline. Coming up in September, George will look to show off his development to the management team for the Islanders. It will be interesting to see his progress this year, as he will try to avoid falling victim to the Islanders’ lack of developmental help for their prospects. He is one of the more interesting prospects in an admittedly shallow Islanders pool. William Langstaff

December 2022 – There is little doubt that George will play in the NHL at some point. He has the quickness and mobility of a smaller skater all while being capable of playing a heavy physical game thanks to his 6-1, 194 pound frame. The question with him, and this explains why he went so late in the draft, is the offensive upside. While he has enjoyed a small tick in production this year with London, his overall production remains lackluster at best and this will likely limit his role in the NHL, which could hurt his fantasy value. Graham Montgomery

July 2022 – George has been selected by the New York Islanders in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, 98th overall. Nick Richard

May 2022 – George’s 23 points in 67 games for the London Knights might not stand out as impressive, but his profile is alluring for a team looking for solid two-way guys in the mid-second round. A technically refined skater with great off-puck habits, especially in his own zone, George has the smarts to absorb forecheckers and free up a teammate for an easy breakout while also showing an understanding of when to jump into the rush.

Although his puck skills themselves don’t pop (his shot is a bit fluttery and he tends to overshoot long passes at times), his usage of his tools and his ideas on the puck hint at an ability to process the game offensively which could translate if the tools themselves are worked on properly. At 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, George has a solid frame as it is, and doesn’t look like he’s done maturing physically. He could become a Swiss-army knife blue-liner who can chip in on both special team units down the line and hold down a role on a team’s top-four fairly soon. Pat Quinn