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Isaiah George is going to have to wait for his NHL opportunity.
The Islanders formalized what had been becoming clear throughout training camp Monday, sending George to AHL Bridgeport as the last cut before submitting their 23-man roster to the league.
There were ultimately no surprises in the group, though general manager Mathieu Darche was spared making what was set to be his toughest decision when prospect Cal Ritchie suffered a lower-body injury in the final preseason game Thursday.
As for George, it was deemed better for the 21-year-old defenseman to play every night in Bridgeport, presumably on the top pair, than to be an extra in the NHL.
“He’s 21 years old so I want him playing minutes,” Darche said. “That’s why we assigned him to Bridgeport. We wanted him to be with us all weekend when we did our little team retreat in the Hamptons, so the future’s bright for Isaiah. He played [NHL] games last year, that’s what I told him yesterday. I said it was a very positive camp, but we need him playing minutes. It’s not the right fit to sit in the NHL, I’d rather have him play.
“Trust me, I’d be surprised if we don’t see him during the year at some point. He’s done a great job.”
George played 33 games with the Islanders last year after being called up, at one point looking like an NHL mainstay.
But he was sent back down after struggling throughout January and never called back up.
It looked like he would have a path to starting this season with the Islanders, but when their 3.5 percent shot at winning the draft lottery converted, giving the Isles the chance to draft Matthew Schaefer, George was ultimately blocked from the roster.
Ritchie could start skating on his own in 2-3 days, Darche said, though he noted that the Islanders don’t want to rush the 20-year-old through rehab.
When Ritchie is ready to play, the Islanders will have a decision whether to send him to the AHL or NHL.
“We’ll see where it goes once he’s healthy,” Darche said. “We’ll have a few games played at that point, and then we’ll make a decision once we get to the point where Calum is ready to play.”
Semyon Varlamov (knee surgery) continues skating on his own but there remains no timetable on his return.
He will start the season on injured reserve.
Pierre Engvall (hip surgery) will start the season on the injured non-roster list.
Darche said that Engvall, who has been skating on his own, has a follow-up appointment with the doctor next week to see if he will be cleared to rejoin the team.
