Islanders Reassign Isaiah George
The Islanders have reassigned defenseman Isaiah George to AHL Bridgeport, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com. That opens an active roster spot for fellow rearguard Carson Soucy to join the team after being acquired from the Rangers last night.
The move is just a speed bump in what remains a promising development path for George. In 2024-25, he went from an overlooked prospect from legitimate call-up option after notching five points in 33 games. He controlled 45.9% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 with a -3 rating while averaging 15:39 of ice time per game, virtually all of which came at even strength. While he didn’t move the needle much defensively, his skating translated well to the game’s highest level and, for a 20-year-old mid-round pick, certainly didn’t look out of place.
Coming into 2025-26, Matthew Schaefer falling into their lap and shoring up the left side made it hard to envision George turning last year’s momentum into a roster spot. That’s how it played out. He returned to Bridgeport to begin the campaign, but has put together a better all-around showing than he did as a rookie last year, notching a 2-8–10 scoring line with a +5 rating in 24 games.
Alexander Romanov‘s shoulder injury meant the Isles were dipping into their AHL depth to take on third-pairing duties on the left side over the last several weeks, though. After Marshall Warren and Travis Mitchell got some looks, it was George’s turn last weekend. He skated alongside Adam Boqvist in each of the Isles’ last two games, recording an assist and a shot attempt despite the pairing largely getting shelled at 5-on-5. They were out-attempted 26-7 and only controlled 18.2% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck.
Now, with Soucy expected to hold down the 3LD spot for the remainder of the season behind Schaefer and Adam Pelech, NHL opportunities for George will once again be limited unless more injuries strike. He’ll be 22 next month, ahead of the final season of his entry-level contract in 2026-27, when he’ll look to make a play for a roster spot with Soucy, Boqvist, and Tony DeAngelo on expiring contracts.
Islanders Recall Isaiah George, Assign Cole McWard To AHL
Saturday: The Islanders announced that they have indeed recalled George from Bridgeport. To make room on the roster, McWard has been sent down.
Friday: The New York Islanders are expected to turn towards a top prospect to help them with injuries. Defenseman Isaiah George appears to have been recalled to the NHL just before the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders’ Friday night game per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News.
This would be George’s first call-up of the 2025-26 season. He has spent the first half of the year in a focused role with Bridgeport, that he’s rewarded with 10 points, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-five in 24 games. That performance is a hardy step up from the 14 points and minus-16 that George recorded in 33 AHL games last season. He also played the first 33 games of his NHL career last year, netting five points and a minus-three. Through a struggled stat line, George showed flashes of two-way upside at the NHL and AHL level last season. He has looked well improved in the minor-leagues this season. With better footing, George could be set to make a stronger push for an NHL role.
He could see ice time right out of the gates as New York looks to address a day-to-day injury to top-four defenseman Ryan Pulock. Extra defenseman Cole McWard would be the de facto replacement if Pulock couldn’t play. McWard has scored 16 points in 29 AHL games and no points in three NHL games this season. He is also a right-handed shot, which wouldn’t pair as nicely with righty Adam Boqvist as the left-handed George. That could be enough to earn George a shot at his first NHL game of the season, should Pulock need to miss time.
Islanders’ Isaiah George Out Week-To-Week
New York Islanders defenseman Isaiah George is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, according to The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner.
George, who is currently playing for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, needed to be helped off of the ice after he collided awkwardly with the boards while attempting a defensive zone puck retrieval. Per Isles in the Sound’s Kenny Kaminsky, George “did not leave the ice under his own power.” George had only recently returned from a separate injury, an upper-body ailment that had cost him the chance to play for most of November and early December.
While George’s injury won’t have an immediate or direct on the Islanders’ NHL defense, the news is still relevant for the Islanders’ NHL plans as George’s injury means that a top defensive call-up option will be unavailable on a week-to-week basis.
The Islanders selected George in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, and he quickly rose to become one of the team’s more pro-ready defensive prospects.
He entered last season ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Islanders’ system by the team at Elite Prospects, and ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the Islanders’ pool by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in January.
Wheeler called George “one of the development stories of the year in hockey” and called his rapid development “a real surprise to those who followed him closely in the OHL.” Wheeler projected George to become a “useful depth defenseman” at the NHL level, and that appears to be what he has become, although he hasn’t played at the NHL level this season.
There are multiple factors influencing why George has not played at all in the NHL in 2025-26 after getting into 33 NHL games in 2024-25. First and foremost, the addition of 2025 No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer to the Islanders’ depth chart has meant Islanders’ depth blueliners have had one less lineup spot to compete for.
When Alexander Romanov is healthy, that means the Islanders can run a trio of left-handed defensemen that would be the envy of many teams across the league: Schaefer, Romanov, and veteran Adam Pelech. With Romanov out due to injury, the Islanders’ depth defensemen have been left to compete for one lineup spot, a spot next to Scott Mayfield on the team’s third pairing.
So far this season, the Islanders have elected to give older depth blueliners Marshall Warren and Travis Mitchell a look in that spot, rather than George. Of course, George’s earlier injury didn’t help his odds of earning a recall. But there are also other factors to consider as well. Perhaps most significant is contract status. George has an additional season left on his entry-level deal beyond 2025-26, while Mitchell and Warren are both playing on expiring contracts.
The Islanders have a GM in Mathieu Darche that is in the midst of his first full campaign with the club. While there has been no firm reporting that this is the case, one could speculate that Darche has chosen to recall Mitchell and Warren over George in part because he’s looking to get as much information as possible about how each of those expiring defensemen fare in the NHL while he considers how to approach each player’s upcoming free agency.
If the club knows it has George under contract for another year, from a resource-management perspective, there’s an argument to be made that the Islanders are better served using those NHL games to see what they have in Mitchell and Warren before the summer.
Of course, if the Islanders believe George is a substantial upgrade in the NHL over those two players, and believe that playing George over Mitchell or Warren improves their chances of winning games, then that aforementioned perspective naturally takes a back seat. But seeing as Warren is currently in the NHL and Mitchell only recently concluded an NHL call-up, it appears unlikely that the Islanders view the situation that way.
While he was likely eyeing a chance to return to the NHL, due to today’s injury development, George will have to first recover from his injury before he can make another push to earn a spot in head coach Patrick Roy’s lineup.
Photos courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
East Notes: Glendening, Senators, Sabres, George
While Luke Glendening didn’t land on the season-opening roster for the Devils, that shouldn’t be interpreted as him not having made the team. Per team reporter Amanda Stein (Twitter link), head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that the veteran is expected to sign with the team before they depart on their season-opening road trip which begins Thursday in Carolina. New Jersey has set up their roster for an in-season LTIR placement which should come as soon as Tuesday, opening up the cap room at that time to sign Glendening. The 36-year-old had just seven points in 77 games with Tampa Bay last season but won 57% of his draws, making him a serviceable specialist on the fourth line.
Elsewhere in the East:
- While the Senators placed winger Drake Batherson and defenseman Tyler Kleven on injured reserve today, neither have been ruled out for Thursday’s season opener, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Their IR placements were back-dated to when they were injured in training camp, meaning they technically have already served the required seven days. Both players skated for about 45 minutes today but haven’t been cleared to return just yet.
- Sabres winger Zach Benson (undisclosed) and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) returned to practice today as they work their way back from their respective injuries. Neither has been ruled out of Thursday’s season opener. Meanwhile, winger Jordan Greenway (mid-body) and defenseman Owen Power (strain) skated on their own today. Unlike Benson and Samuelsson, they’re not on the active roster as they were among the long list of players that landed on injured reserve today. At this point, their availabilities for Thursday appear to be in question.
- Despite playing in 33 games with the Islanders last season, Isaiah George was sent to the minors today. Speaking with reporters (video link), GM Mathieu Darche indicated that the 21-year-old had a strong camp but the decision was made to prioritize playing time, something he’ll get a lot of with Bridgeport but wouldn’t have received in New York as the eighth defender on the depth chart.
Islanders Reassign Isaiah George, Matthew Schaefer Will Make Team
The Islanders have reassigned defenseman Isaiah George to AHL Bridgeport, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports. As a result, their active roster now stands at 23 players and is cap-compliant for opening night.
Since the club didn’t place anyone on waivers yesterday, their options to get down to the 23-player limit for their active roster by this evening’s deadline were limited. Only three waiver-exempt players remained on their roster: George and a pair of rookies in winger Maxim Shabanov and defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Shabanov, an international free agent signing out of Russia’s Traktor Chelyabinsk in July, has been a virtual opening-night lock since the beginning of camp, meaning today’s decision essentially came down to George and Schaefer.
Schaefer was the widely expected winner on the heels of a spectacular preseason showing for the mobile lefty, who’s only one month removed from his 18th birthday. He made four exhibition appearances and averaged north of 22 minutes per game, recording two assists, eight shots on goal, and four hits. While the Isles were outscored 3-1 with Schaefer on the ice at 5-on-5, his possession metrics were strong – controlling 59.1% of shot attempts, 60.5% of expected goals, and 56.3% of high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.
George, a 2022 fourth-rounder, unexpectedly made his way into 33 NHL games for the Isles last season, his first taste of NHL action in his first professional campaign. The 21-year-old lefty only averaged 15:39 per game and had five points with a -3 rating, but the club liked what he brought to the table and was expected to give him a long look for an opening-night job this year.
He didn’t show out nearly as well as Schaefer did in training camp, though. His possession impacts were middle-of-the-pack; he only got into two games and was held off the scoresheet.
It’s rare that a No. 1 pick doesn’t break camp with his club, but when it does happen, it’s almost always a defenseman. It last happened with the Sabres’ Owen Power, who opted for another year of college in the 2021-22 campaign before turning pro. Schaefer was ineligible to go the NCAA route after signing his entry-level contract, but there was an argument to be made that he could have used additional conditioning in a more familiar junior environment. His preseason action was his first gameplay in nine months after sustaining a season-ending collarbone injury in December that limited him to 22 points in just 17 appearances with the OHL’s Erie Otters. After proving he’s back up to speed, though, the spot was his to lose.
Schaefer is expected to make his NHL debut in the Isles’ first game of the year against the Penguins on Oct. 9, likely in third-pairing duties with veteran Scott Mayfield. Those two have been partners for the vast majority of camp.
New York Islanders Reassign Isaiah George
The New York Islanders needed to cut one player from the active roster after claiming defenseman Adam Boqvist off waivers earlier today. According to Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports, the Islanders have elected to reassign defenseman Isaiah George to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders.
George’s reassignment seems wise for the young defender’s growth. The Islanders picked George with the 98th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, and he is still in his first year with the organization.
Due to numerous injuries in the defensive lineup, George has already played 33 games for the Islanders in his first year of professional hockey. He’s scored one goal and recorded five points during these games, averaging 15 minutes and 39 seconds of ice time per night.
His defensive metrics have painted the best picture of his performance thus far with a 46.2% CorsiFor% at even strength and a 91.4% on-ice save percentage at even strength. Complimented by an average of one block per game — George should have some staying power on the Islanders’ blue line.
Still, it won’t hurt to have George back in Bridgeport. He’s only one year removed from scoring six goals and 30 points in 68 games for the OHL’s London Knights and only has four AHL games on his résumé. The AHL Islanders aren’t expected to make a push for the Calder Cup playoffs this season but George should help alleviate many of Bridgeport’s goals-against issues this year.
Islanders Reassign Grant Hutton
The Islanders reassigned defenseman Grant Hutton to AHL Bridgeport on Monday, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News and NHL.com. The demotion indicates that rookie Isaiah George will likely be back in the lineup tomorrow against the Senators after he was a full participant in today’s practice, Rosner adds.
Hutton, 29, was summoned from Bridgeport last week in the wake of upper-body injuries on the blue line to George and Alexander Romanov. He was scratched for the Isles’ shutout win over the Golden Knights but entered the lineup Saturday against Utah, playing just 5:07 in the team’s 2-1 win.
The Indiana native has been recalled a handful of times this season due to rashes of injuries among their more established NHLers, playing 13 contests this season as a result. The stay-at-home defender has two assists and a plus-one rating while averaging 13:28 of ice time per game, laying the body 13 times and adding 12 blocks. He’s struggled to limit shot attempts against, though, and his 41.8 CF% at even strength ranks dead last among Isles defensemen.
Hutton passed through waivers unclaimed last month. Since he’s only been on the roster for six days since then and played once, he doesn’t need them again for today’s transaction.
Meanwhile, George had missed the last three games with an upper-body injury but never landed on injured reserve. The Isles didn’t need to reassign Hutton to open a roster spot as a result but did so anyway. The 20-year-old has been a pleasant surprise, posting five points in 25 games with an even rating while logging over 16 minutes per game.
Islanders Injury Notes: Fasching, Varlamov, George, Holmstrom, Reilly
New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello shared a slew of injury updates with Newsday’s Andrew Gross on Thursday. Most notably, winger Hudson Fasching is expected to miss the next two weeks after suffering an upper-body injury in the team’s Monday loss to the Boston Bruins. Fasching left that matchup in the third period and didn’t travel on the team’s two-game road trip to the Western Conference. The Islanders have deployed healthy scratch Matt Martin to fill in for Fasching’s absence. Of the two, Martin is the only one to record a point this season – boasting one assist in 20 games to Fasching’s zero points in 19 games. They sit close on the Islanders’ depth chart, respectively averaging eight and nine minutes of ice time this season.
Lamoriello also shared that many of the Islanders’ other injuries are progressing positively. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov is expected to rejoin the team at practice when they return from their road trip on January 12th. Varlamov hasn’t played since the team’s November 29th loss to the Washington Capitals. He allowed five goals on 26 shots in that matchup, bringing his season totals to a career-low .889 in 10 appearances.
Rookie defenseman Isaiah George is also expected to return to practice when the Islanders return home. It will be his first time skating since sustaining an upper-body injury on a hit from Max Domi in New York’s January 2nd match against Toronto. George was placed on injured reserve, retroactive to the 2nd, and is now eligible to return when he’s back to full health. He has been one of the Islanders’ few bright spots this season, recording five points and 17 minutes of ice time in 25 games. The 20-year-old defender was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and stands as just the third player selected outside of that year’s first-round to play through his rookie season. He’ll rival a role in the lineup when he’s back to full health, but may be bumped to the side by the return of Adam Pelech.
Forward Simon Holmstrom is also aiming to return to practice next week. He’s been another bright spot in the New York lineup, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 22 points in 37 games, but went down with a day-to-day injury on January 1st. He was placed on injured reserve on January 7th. Meanwhile, defenseman Mike Reilly has also progressed from his injury but hasn’t yet been cleared for practice. Reilly has been out since November 1st.
The Islanders sit with 23 men on their roster. They’ll need to send someone to the minors to activate Holmstrom or Reilly.
Metropolitan Notes: Tomasino, Tarasov, George, Holmstrom
Penguins winger Philip Tomasino left Friday’s game against Florida early after a collision with Nate Schmidt and sustained a lower-body injury on the play. Team reporter Michelle Crechiolo relays (Twitter link) that there was no further update on his injury today with head coach Mike Sullivan indicating that he’s still being evaluated. Tomasino has been a nice addition since being acquired from Nashville back in November for a 2027 fourth-round pick, picking up four goals and three assists in 16 games but now it looks like he’ll be out of the lineup for a little while. Barring any further roster movement, one of Anthony Beauvillier or Jesse Puljujarvi (who remains on the roster despite recently clearing waivers) will take Tomasino’s place in the lineup.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov acknowledged to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link) that he declined the organization’s request to take a conditioning stint with AHL Cleveland. The 25-year-old has only played once in the last month – that coming last Saturday – and has played just twice since mid-November. It has been a rough year for Tarasov who has a 4.23 GAA and a .857 SV% in 10 starts but feels he’d be best served staying in the NHL while his agent J.P. Barry added that Tarasov’s injury history in the minors also played a role in the decision.
- Islanders defenseman Isaiah George is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, notes Newsday’s Denis Gorman (Twitter link). The rookie was injured in Thursday’s loss to Toronto. George has been impressive since being recalled in early November. He has played in 25 games so far, recording five points and 30 blocked shots while averaging 16:38 of playing time and even saw time on the top pairing at one point. Meanwhile, Gorman adds that winger Simon Holmstrom is also listed as day-to-day with his upper-body injury. He last played on Sunday and has nine goals and 13 assists in 37 games so far and is close to matching his rookie-season output already.
Islanders’ Mike Reilly Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury
New York Islanders’ defenseman Mike Reilly has been announced as out indefinitely with an upper-body injury per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. Reilly has been out since hitting his head in the team’s November 1st win over the Buffalo Sabres. He was initially dubbed day-to-day in the wake of the injury, but will now be out for the foreseeable future with what’s been dubbed a concussion.
Reilly’s absence leaves a clear hole in the New York lineup. While his minutes have been relatively capped, he’s served as a go-to depth option since being acquired off waivers from the Florida Panthers last summer. He landed with the Islanders when they needed him most – square in the middle of injuries to Adam Pelech, Sebastian Aho, and Ryan Pulock. Those absences paved the way for Reilly to average just over 17 minutes of ice time through 59 games with New York. He made good work of the role, passing the 20-point mark (24) for just the second time in his 10-year career. But both his role and his scoring have dried up this year, with Reilly averaging 15:45 in ice time and yet to score through 11 games this season.
New York is also missing Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov – effectively depleting the entirety of their blue-line’s left-hand side. The team’s seventh-defenseman, Dennis Cholowski, joined call-up Samuel Bolduc in trying to mend the emptied depth chart – but neither proved very reliable. That led New York to recall rookie Isaiah George, who’s looked far more the part of the top-end defender that the Islanders are missing. George has averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time through his first two career games, blocking four shots and impressively handling the pace of NHL defense. He’s yet to score the first point of his career, but should continue as a strong member of the Islanders’ top-four while they wait for their defense to return to health. The Islanders have also been tied to rumors around left-defenders on the trade or waiver market, and may be quick to replace George if he falters in a continued role.
Romanov also remains out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, per Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports.