The Islanders chose to keep rookie Isaiah George over the stable veteran Grant Hutton.
The New York Islanders placed defenseman Grant Hutton on waivers on Wednesday, signaling a potential return to the AHL after filling in for an injured lineup.
The move will clear $838,000 on the team's salary cap. Should he clear, he will report to the Bridgeport Islanders.
With New York missing Adam Pelech, Alexander Romanov, and Mike Reilly on the blue line, Hutton was called up and appeared in 12 games this season.
He recorded two assists in those games while averaging about 14 minutes of ice time per game.
Hutton last played on Dec. 10 against the Los Angeles Kings, filling in for Scott Mayfield as he missed the game due to illness.
He went scoreless in 16:33 of ice time, with Mayfield returning to the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.