On the eve of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames announced that they have re-signed forwards Rory Kerins and Sam Morton, keeping them in the organization for another season.

Last year, Morton played 68 games with the Wranglers and saw action in three games with the Flames. Meanwhile, Kerins, initially drafted 174th overall in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, played four games in the NHL and was the Wranglers' third leading scorer with 57 points.

After inking identical $850k deals, Kerins and Morton will earn a salary increase over last year's $775k on their respective two-way pacts. 

Initially undrafted, Morton had a stellar NCAA career with Union College and Minnesota State University, winning two NCAA (CCHA) championships and becoming a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist in 2023-24 as the top college hockey player.

Although he didn't win the NCAA's most prestigious award, he did earn NCAA (CCHA) First All-Star Team honors, in addition to being named the Forward and Player of the Year awards. 

Morton joined the Wranglers for the end of the 2023-24 season, eventually making his NHL debut on Apr. 17, 2025, where he scored a goal against the Los Angeles Kings. With the Flames, he's scored one goal in four games, but with the Wranglers, he's collected 42 with 90 points in 127 games.

Meanwhile, Kerins had an impressive NHL debut in 2024-25, picking up four assists in five games, the same season he was an AHL All-Star for the first time. He played three seasons with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL, tallying 118 points in 67 games in 2021-22. 

Kerins spent his first season in professional hockey with the Rapid City Rush, but since 2023-24 has been a mainstay in the Wranglers lineup, producing 152 points in 183 games with 72 goals and 80 assists. 

After these signings, the Flames have roughly $21 million in cap space, according to Cap Wages, and 10 picks in this year's draft.