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.

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.