Vancouver Canucks lock up Cory Schneider with 3-year deal

Vancouver - The Vancouver Canucks may have dodged a bullet by locking up goalie Cory Schneider on Thursday. It's a 3 year deal that reports say calls for the 26-year-old to make $12 million over the length of the contract.

Canucks GM Mike Gillis announced the deal late Thursday afternoon via twitter: "We have agreed in principle to a deal with Cory Schneider. More news in the next few days." With a yearly cap hit of $4 million for Schneider added to the yearly cap hit of $5.3 million for Roberto Luongo, it leaves the club on the hook for $9.3 million for their goalies, leaving little choice but to trade one. It's almost certain the goalie to go will be the 33-year-old Luongo. Schneider: Breakout NHL season Had Vancouver not signed the former Boston College star by July 1 he would have become a restricted free agent and other clubs could have signed him, possibly for a larger sum to dissuade Vancouver from matching, as they would have had the right to do. Schneider had a stellar season, finishing 20-8-1 with 2 shutouts, a .937 save percentage and a 1.96 GAA, third in the league. His signing brought relief to Canuck fans and a congratulatory tweet from his teammate, Kevin Bieska: "Congrats in order to Cory! Great teammate that has worked hard for his opportunities. Good red-headed goalies are a rare commodity!" Schneider, who has a college degree in finance, is in Chicago as part of the NHLPA bargaining group negotiating a new labor agreement with the league.