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.