The Canucks have made qualifying offers to three restricted free agents, including goaltender Cory Schneider.
Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman confirmed on Monday that the NHL club has made the necessary qualifying offers to Schneider, fourth-line winger Dale Weise and minor league goaltender Eddie Lack – thus allowing the Canucks to retain the rights to the players.
Schneider is by far the highest profile of the three. He just finished a two-year deal that paid him $900,000 this past season, so the offer must include a minimum five per cent raise those numbers are strictly procedural and bear no resemblance to what Schneider will actually make next season.
Based on the way the recent playoffs played out, it’s expected the club is prepared to move forward with Schneider as the No. 1 in goal and explore trade opportunities for Roberto Luongo.
While the offer to Schneider was completely expected, it moves him and the club closer to some key dates governing restricted free agents.
Now that the Canucks have secured their rights to Schneider, they now have until June 30 to re-sign the promising young netminder or risk that another team will tender a rare offer sheet to him. Beginning on July 1 and through July 5, other clubs could offer up to about $5 million per season and only have to surrender just a first- and a third-round pick as compensation.
That compensation is a bargain for a 26-year-old player who appears ready to be a No. 1 in the NHL and who has the potential to be a very good one. Not to suggest an offer sheet is going to be at that $5 million ceiling but you get the idea.
At 2 p.m. PDT on July 5, assuming no offer sheet, the Canucks can file for salary arbitration, lock Schneider into a one-year deal and take him out of the offer sheet market.
Gilman shot down reports that he will be meeting Schneider’s agent Mike Liut before Friday’s Entry Draft in Pittsburgh – although he conceded that a conversation could take place at the annual event which most of the NHL community attends.
“We don’t have anything formal scheduled,” said Gilman.
But Gilman, who’s the Canucks’ lead contract negotiator, said the team is feeling no pressure get a deal done “if we’re not able to reach an agreement that makes sense for both parties.”
Gilman added that an offer sheet is allowed within the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, so it’s a possible scenario.
“From our pespective, we have cap space to match it,” he said. “You can’t operate in fear.”
Schneider had an excellent second season in the NHL, with a record of 20-8-1, with three shutouts and a goals against average of 1.96 and save percentage of .937, that was second overall. He was even better in the playoffs, when he supplanted Luongo: 1.31 GAA and a .960 SP, although he was 1-2 in the first round series with Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the potential market for Luongo got smaller on the weekend when Tampa Bay took itself out of the list of teams looking for a No. 1 goaltender when they acquired Nashville’s promising young back-up goaltender Anders Lindback.
Canucks restricted free agents who’ve yet to receive a qualifying offer are: defencemen Marc-Andre Gragnani and Ryan Parent and forwards Victor Oreskovich and Mike Duco.
jjamieson@theprovince.com
