Sam Morton
Sam Morton is a 26-year-old undrafted center who is a deep AHL/NHL depth piece for the Flames organization, and as of the last days of camp he is bound for the minors rather than an NHL role to start the season.
Role
Per NHL.com's official transactions page (Flames site, Sept. 25, 2026) and matching wire reports from CBS Sports and RotoWire (both Sept. 25, 2026), the Flames placed Morton on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the AHL's Calgary Wranglers as camp was trimmed. In the Sept. 24 preseason game at Seattle (FlamesNation game-day preview), he skated on a line with William Nylander and Rory Kerins, and he factored into an on-ice incident (a hit on Chandler Stephenson) in that same exhibition contest per Yardbarker's and Daily Hive's recaps of the Sept. 25 game. That is exhibition usage only, not an NHL role. FlamesNation's AHL lineup projection (checked late August/September) has him projected as a fourth-line center for the Wranglers once he is with that club, though the same piece notes he would be the first depth forward called up if a younger AHL center like Jonathan Castagna or Tyson Gross struggles.
FlamesNation's Wranglers projection piece argues Morton is miscast as a true fourth-line AHL center and would be the first option to move up the Wranglers lineup, even into a second-line role, if the club's younger centers have early struggles, and he has already accumulated some NHL looks over the past two seasons (four career games, including three last season) as organizational depth.
RotoWire and CBS Sports (Sept. 25, 2026) both flag that with only four career NHL games and no clear path to a roster spot, Morton was waived for assignment to the AHL days before the season opener; RotoWire states directly that he figures to remain a
Where analysts split
There is broad agreement among the outlets found (RotoWire, CBS Sports, FlamesNation) that Morton is a depth/waiver-fringe piece heading to the AHL rather than a subject of real debate; the only shade of disagreement is within FlamesNation's own coverage between its AHL lineup projection, which pegs him as an underused player who could rise quickly on the Wranglers, versus its waiver-candidates piece, which singles out Rory Kerins and William Stromgren, not Morton, as the more coveted names other teams might claim off waivers, implying his ceiling this year is seen as lower than those bigger AHL names.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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