Isaiah George is a two-way defender with a nice combination of skating, puck skills and vision. He does a number of things well on the ice, but his most effective attribute is his ability to contribute in the transition game. He can create controlled breakouts and zone entries all on his own, using his skating ability to navigate up and down the ice while in control of the puck. In the offensive zone, he likes to have the puck on his stick at the blue line. He takes the puck from the wall and moves it towards the center lane, allowing for a potential shot or passing opportunity that leads to a scoring chance. Defensively, he uses his size to maintain good gap control and the odd time a player does get past him. He has the ability to recover and knock the puck off his stick negating the potential chance. There are inconsistencies in his game, particularly in the defensive zone. Like many young players, he can get caught puck-watching, allowing for his assignment to breakaway and get open in the slot. Thankfully he has the size and mobility to recover when he does lose his assignment, but it’s certainly a red flag, nonetheless. He has all the tools you want to see in a modern defenseman, even with the inconsistent production there’s a lot of upside in his game. Scouts will see his skillset and bank on their organization being able to get the most out him. He will likely be a mid-round pick, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he significantly outperforms his draft position and becomes an all-situations player at the NHL level given what he’s working with. In a class full of talented two-way blueliners, George most likely finds himself in that second or third wave of defensemen to come off the draft board.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide