Canucks Sign Goaltender Schneider to Two-Year Extension

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they have signed goaltender Cory Schneider to a two-year contract extension worth $1.8 million. The deal averages out to $900,000 per season. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency on July 1. In two games last season with the Canucks, he posted a 0-1-0 record, with a 3.80 GAA and a .915 save percentage. He also appeared in 60 games last season with Manitoba of the AHL, posting a 35-23-2 record, four shutouts, a 2.51 GAA, and a .919 save percentage. Not a bad signing for the Canucks, as Schneider is a very talented goalie with a lot of upside. However, with Luongo as the starter for the foreseeable future, the Canucks will probably never get to use Schneider to his full potential. He's a very quick goaltender who plays the butterfly position very well and covers a lot of space in goal with his size. Schneider will be the backup in Vancouver next season, so Andrew Raycroft will not be re-signed. The Canucks will likely spend the next two season building up Schneider's trade value to get the most out of him and likely trade him by the second year of his contract. With Luongo's new 12-year contract kicking in next season, Schneider will be the odd man out in goal for the Canucks by the time his contract ends.