Flames re-sign Kerins, Morton ahead of NHL Draft

Photo by David Moll / Calgary Wranglers


CALGARY — The Calgary Flames continued shaping their roster Thursday, re-signing forwards Rory Kerins and Sam Morton to one-year, two-way contracts one day before the opening round of the NHL Draft in Buffalo.



The signings come during a busy week for Calgary. Earlier this week, the Flames acquired 22-year-old defenceman Šimon Nemec and winger Maxim Tsyplakov from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenceman Etienne Morin, a 2026 second-round pick and two conditional first-round picks. Free agency opens Wednesday, giving Calgary another opportunity to reshape its roster ahead of the 2026-27 season.



Kerins, 24, split the 2025-26 season between the Flames and the AHL's Calgary Wranglers, appearing in four NHL games while recording 22 goals and 35 assists in 56 games with the Wranglers. Despite missing a month with an injury, he finished the season with 12 points over his final six games.



The Caledon, Ont., native broke out during the 2024-25 campaign, leading the Wranglers with 61 points, earning his first AHL All-Star selection and making his NHL debut with Calgary, where he recorded two assists in his first game.



Morton, 26, appeared in three games for the Flames in 2025-26 after making his NHL debut in Calgary's regular-season finale the previous season. The Lafayette, Colo., product also recorded 38 points in 68 games with the Wranglers last season.



Both players signed one-year, two-way contracts carrying an average annual value of $850,000.



Calgary opens its four-game preseason schedule Sept. 20 against Seattle before hosting Vancouver on Sept. 22. The Flames conclude exhibition play with road games in Seattle on Sept. 24 and Edmonton on Sept. 26.