The 20-year-old shares his thoughts on his rookie season thus far and how two former NHLers are helping him grow his game.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- New York Islanders rookie defenseman Isaiah George has looked the part through his first 30 NHL games. 

Known for his defense, George's one-goal and four-assist line shouldn't be a cause for concern. The 20-year-old fourth-round pick in 2022 is learning each and every day what it means to be a pro. 

Unlike most young players who get some seasoning in the AHL, George found himself on the NHL roster after just four professional games to his name. 

So, George has pretty much been learning on the fly. And since he's returned from an upper-body injury, his game has looked much stronger. 

"I feel like I've put together a couple of good games now since coming back," George told THN. "And I'm just looking to build off that. 

"Now that Noah [Dobson] is probably going to be out a little bit, there's probably going to be a little bit more ice time [available], so I'm just looking to take advantage of that, find that rhythm, and just build shift by shift."

The Islanders won their first game without Dobson, 3-1, against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

George, who had averaged 16:03 coming into the game, played 17:46, the most he's played since Nov. 29 (18:16 TOI) in their 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. 

When George first came up, he told me that you could get away with certain things in juniors or the AHL, but those things do not fly at the NHL level and that the biggest adjustments are in speed and physicality. 

Now, over two months after his NHL debut, George feels he better understands what he needs to do to be successful. 

"I think, definitely now, you understand it. You're comfortable with just like the little nuances of what to expect and the details of the game," George said. "It's more just execution and just playing good hockey."

At Friday's morning skate, former Islanders defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg hit the ice to work with the defenseman who was on the ice, one being George.

Those two veteran-turned-developmental coaches have worked with George since he was drafted.  

"It's been great. I mean, they've been around since I got drafted. every time I come to rookie camp. They keep in touch." George said. So, it's been great. always.  these last couple of years, to be able to pick their brain and just talk to them, hear their stories and different experiences they've had."

Boychuk and Seidenberg were known for different things in thier careers, which allows George to get different perspectives but also specified pointers for each aspect of the game. 

"Even today in practice, Johnny was chirping me about my one-timer a bit and giving me a little pointer, so little stuff like that is so beneficial," George said. "And even just like experiences. I remember earlier in the season, I had a tough game, and Johnny was there. He was just telling me about his experiences and similar stuff he went through. It's just little conversations like that make a big difference, and it's a big help."

Although George can learn a lot from the two retirees, he's currently getting a backstage pass to a defense duo that's playing at the top of their game: Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. 

"I mean, I've been watching those two guys for a long time. They've been great defensemen for a while now, so I definitely watch when they're out on the ice," George said. "Just to watch them play, watch how they move out there, how they a and how they read the game. And I think I've been learning a lot from them."

The Islanders' defense, as a whole, has played a vital role in their current four-game win streak. What has George seen?

"I think, honestly, we've just been playing some really solid team hockey. I think there are a lot of factors." George said. "I feel like we are playing in their zone a lot more, too, which definitely helps, We're having a really good fore-check and offensive zone time. But also, too, I think we start tracking back, closing out in the corners and battles,. 

"I think that has really been big."

Head coach Patrick Roy showed tremendous trust in George from the moment he made his NHL debut. That trust hasn't wavered, and he's loved what he's seen from his rookie. 

"I just love his speed," Roy said on Friday morning. "I love how mobile he is and the fact that he's learning and getting experience. I love that.

"I think it's a good situation for him. When he keeps his game simple, I feel like he's playing his best, and I just hope he keeps doing exactly that."

The Islanders signed Tony DeAngelo to a one-year deal on Friday. He is expected to replace Dennis Cholowski in the lineup, allowing George to build on his impressive first NHL season.