Andrew Gross: Islanders defenseman Isaiah George can force his way onto roster with strong camp
Isaiah George of the Islanders moves down ice during the first day of rookie training camp on Sept. 11, 2026 in East Meadow. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The Islanders’ brass keeps advocating for Isaiah George.
General manager Mathieu Darche said the defenseman, “will have every opportunity to be on this team and we hope he finds a way to be on this team.”
Coach Pete DeBoer said, “He’s a pro and I do think he’s ready.”
And Jay McKee, who will coach the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Hamilton, Ontario and is running the on-ice drills at rookie camp, said, “He’s impressed me a lot. I’m seeing more than I expected with him.”
The ongoing rookie camp is the next step for the 22-year-old with 37 games of NHL experience to prove to management he belongs to be on the roster when the Islanders open the regular season on Sept. 30 in Toronto. There are rookie games against the Devils on Sunday in Newark, New Jersey and at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow on Tuesday and the main training camp opens on Thursday.
“It starts with me,” said the 6-1, 207-pound George, a fourth-round pick in 2022 limited to a combined 51 games in the AHL and NHL last season because of injuries. “If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re not going to get there. I’ve always had that belief.”
George is entering the third season of a three-year, $2.59 million entry-level deal so he’s playing for his next, better deal while the Islanders hope to infuse a younger, salary-cap friendly player into the roster.
Long term, the Islanders want to have a defense corps anchored by Matthew Schaefer, 19, Kashawn Aitcheson, also 19 and selected 17th overall in 2025, and George.
But how to include the lefthanded-shooting George is the question. Physical Alexander Romanov is healthy after a shoulder injury to rejoin fellow lefthanded shots Adam Pelech and Schaefer while veteran righties Ryan Pulock, Tony DeAngelo and Scott Mayfield also return.
George has played some on his off side but DeBoer is more comfortable switching Schaefer, the record-setting, unanimous rookie of the year after being selected first overall, to the right.
“We’ve been talking about maybe playing [Schaefer] on the right side this year,” DeBoer said this week during a radio interview on TSN. “He ended up on the right side probably 30% of the time last year. So, I don’t think it’s a big transition for a guy like that to switch sides.”
George can force that issue over the next two and a half weeks.
“Obviously there’s an opportunity there and coaches and management have a belief in me that I can do it,” George said. “So I need to go out there and take it.”
Dravecky supporter
Fifth-round pick Vladimir Dravecky has a strong supporter at rookie camp in McKee, who coached Dravecky with Brantford of the junior Ontario Hockey League last season.
Vladimir Dravecky of the Islanders skates down ice during the first day of rookie camp on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 in East Meadow. Credit: Dawn McCormick
“Vlad is a very highly-skilled, offensive-minded defenseman,” McKee said. “He’s one of the best practice players I’ve ever coached or even played with. He’s intense. He does everything with a purpose. He snaps his passes. He’s got an active stick. His potential and his upside is very high.”
The righthanded shooting Dravecky notched nine goals and 19 assists in 58 games for Brantford and will play this season for Guelph in the OHL, which has an automatic berth to the next Memorial Cup as its host. Dravecky, born in Manchester, New Hampshire, has played internationally for Czechia and also spent time in leagues in Sweden and Slovakia.
Learning tools
Last year, Russian-born Daniil Prokhorov, a second-round pick in 2025, needed fellow Islanders’ prospect Gleb Veremyev, born in New Jersey, to translate for him during interviews. But at this rookie camp, the 6-6, 234-pound Prokhorov is very comfortable chatting in broken English with whoever wanders over to his locker stall.
Islanders' Daniil Prokhorov skates on the first day of Islanders prospect camp on June 29, 2026 in East Meadow. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Prokhorov said part of his secret for getting that comfortable with a new language in a short period of time was watching his favorite Russian movies, sometimes up to six a week, dubbed into English. He also received help from former Ranger Chris Kreider, who speaks Russian, as they trained together in Stamford, Connecticut this summer.
On the ice, Prokhorov is anticipating his first season in North America will go smoother than his last in his home country. He had one goal in 23 games for Moscow in the KHL before compiling nine goals and nine assists in 25 games for St. Petersburg in the VHL, a minor league.
“Last season, a hard season,” Prokhorov said. “No good ice time in the KHL. Two minutes a game, three minutes a game. No play, no play, no play. The VHL, it’s a second league in Russia. It’s good times. But last season, it’s a no good season.”
Still recovering
Speedy wing Quinn Finley, a third-round pick in 2022, was ticketed to finish last season with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate after ending his third collegiate season at Wisconsin in a 2-1 loss to Denver in the Frozen Four title game. But shoulder surgery altered that plan and Finley is wearing a red, non-contact jersey at rookie camp and unsure whether he’ll be cleared for contact for training camp.
Islanders' Quinn Finley on the ice during the first day of rookie camp on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 in East Meadow. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Still, skating with his fellow prospects and shooting the puck beats the alternative.
“I’m feeling good,” Finley said. “Finally getting back out there is awesome. It came back actually pretty quickly, I think we’re ahead of schedule right now. Almost to the finish line.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
