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It's now or never for these Calgary Flames players to make an impact

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Aug 20 2026, 9:35 pm
It's now or never for these Calgary Flames players to make an impact
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

There are several players within the Calgary Flames organization who are running out of opportunity to prove they are every day NHLers.

The good news for those individuals is that the Flames can afford to be more patient than most teams thanks to being in a rebuild. That said, there comes a point with every player where there’s no longer patience to be had.

Here’s a look at six players within the organization facing now-or-never scenarios entering the 2026-27 season:

Adam Klapka

  • Age: 25
  • Position: RW

Adam Klapka has one thing you can’t teach: size.

The 25-year-old winger is one of the NHL’s biggest players at a massive 6-foot-8, 235 pounds. He also possesses some skill for a man of his size, and isn’t hesitant to use his frame to his advantage. His 295 hits in 2025-26 ranked fourth amongst all NHLers.

The issue with Klapka is his consistency. He shows glimpses of what he can be, but has far too many games where he’s unnoticeable. He’s set to become an RFA next summer, and needs to find a way to be more impactful in 2026-27 to show he can be a part of the Flames’ future.

Rory Kerins

  • Age: 24
  • Position: C

Rory Kerins has been an intriguing prospect in the Flames’ system for some time. He produced massive numbers throughout his OHL career, and has put up 55 goals and 118 points over a combined 119 AHL games the past two seasons.

flames-kerins

Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

The issue for Kerins is his foot speed. It’s resulted in him playing just nine NHL games to this point.

The good news is that the Flames are very weak down the middle heading into 2026-27. If Kerins is able to show that his foot speed is improved, he could be a dark-horse candidate to crack the opening night roster. If not, his NHL career is in serious jeopardy.

Sam Morton

  • Age: 27
  • Position: C

Players don’t generally fall into ‘prospect’ territory at Sam Morton’s age, but his case is slightly different. The 27-year-old spent four years with Minnesota State University, and as a result has just two pro seasons under his belt.

Morton’s 38 points in 61 games with the Wranglers this past season indicate there isn’t a ton of offence in his game, but he is very responsible defensively and is good in the face-off dot. That may be enough for him to earn a fourth-line role, though this coming season is likely his final opportunity.

William Stromgren

  • Age: 23
  • Position: LW

The one benefit William Stromgren has going for him is that he’s younger than the others on this list. He doesn’t need to crack the Flames’ opening night roster. What he does need is to improve his play with the Wranglers should he be re-assigned.

flames-stromgren

@AHLWranglers/X

Stromgren has a ton of skill in his game, but hasn’t been able to put it all together on a consistent basis. He’s going to need to find a way to do so in 2026-27 in order to remain part of the Flames’ future, as the organization has plenty of prospects on both wings who will surpass him if he can’t improve his overall game in a hurry.

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