Internal option for bolstering NY Islanders defense suffers injury at Bridgeport

"The Islanders' young defenseman is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, according to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, after suffering a frightening spill this weekend while playing for the Bridgeport Islanders. George collided awkwardly with the boards while attempting a defensive-zone puck retrieval and needed assistance to leave the ice. Per Isles in the Sound's Kenny Kaminsky, George did not leave under his own power."

"The timing is particularly cruel. George had only recently returned from an upper-body injury that sidelined him for much of November and early December, and there was growing optimism that he could re-enter the conversation as a depth call-up option for the Islanders. Instead, another injury has halted that momentum just as it was starting to build. #Isles #ReturnoftheRoar Bridgeport defenseman Isaiah George just went into the wall awkwardly and left the ice. pic.twitter.com/cJb8e8D2k8- Isles In The Sound (@IslesInTheSound) December 20, 2025"

"While George's absence doesn't immediately impact the Islanders' NHL blue line, it does affect the organization's flexibility. With injuries and lineup shuffling already a theme this season, losing one of the system's more NHL-ready defensemen removes an option the front office would prefer to have available on short notice. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, George quickly established himself as one of the Islanders' more intriguing defensive prospects."

Isaiah George is week-to-week with a lower-body injury after colliding awkwardly with the boards during a defensive-zone puck retrieval while playing for the Bridgeport Islanders. He required assistance to leave the ice and did not depart under his own power. George had recently returned from an upper-body injury that sidelined him through much of November and early December, halting growing momentum toward an NHL call-up. His absence reduces the organization’s roster flexibility by removing an NHL-ready defensive option. George was a 2022 fourth-round pick and ranked highly among the Islanders’ prospects last season.

Read at Eyes On Isles