Manitoba Moose

There is little doubt Cory Schneider is poised for a bright future.

Where that immediate future takes him is a bit more unsettled.

While he is already guaranteed to have the shortest summer in his budding hockey career, Schneider also figures to be heading into an interesting off-season.

After leading the Manitoba Moose within two wins of a Calder Cup title, Schneider understands there are four scenarios that could come to fruition.

The most likely has him graduating to the Vancouver Canucks as the back-up and possible heir-apparent to Roberto Luongo.

Should the Canucks get Luongo signed to a long-term contract extension, things get a little muddy from there and Schneider could find himself on the trading block as he's one of the few prospects in the system that could garner a return.

A third (and highly unlikely) option being thrown around sees Canucks general manager Mike Gillis hit a stalemate in contract negotiations and trading Luongo (after getting the star goalie to lift his no-trade clause) to another club to allow Schneider an opportunity to carry the mail, likely with an experienced back-up in tow to push him.

Lastly, the Canucks and Schneider could agree that one last season on the farm might benefit all parties.

Short of capturing a Calder Cup, Schneider has little to prove at this level, but the organization could decide that playing 60-plus games in the AHL might be best for his long-term development.

Schneider will be ready for whatever scenario unfolds.

"You can always be in better shape, you can always work harder and you can always get better in small areas of your game," said Schneider.

"Especially for the transitional to the next level, every detail counts. It's a short summer with a quick turnaround, but the prospect of what could happen really excites me.

"A lot of that stuff is out of my control. I'm just going to do what I can, have a great training camp and force them to make a tough decision."

It was a whirlwind season for Schneider, who established himself as one of the premier goalies in the AHL and also got his first taste of NHL action with the Canucks, spending almost two months there as Luongo healed from a groin injury.

Schneider's confidence was shaken a tad upon his return to the minors, but he quickly got back to where he was before he left.

He was chosen to start the AHL All-Star Classic for PlanetUSA and was later honoured with the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as the top goalie in the AHL.

Finally, Schneider showcased his talent in the playoffs and finished a remarkable run with a 14-7 record, a 2.15 goals against average and .922 save percentage.

"Personally, it's been an awesome year -- from the team success to the individual success and all of that," said Schneider.

"I had a great time, I learned a lot and it's the most hockey I've ever played, but I had a lot of fun doing it."

Canucks assistant GM Lorne Henning expects the decision to be more clear in the fall, but predicts a bright future for Schneider.

"Obviously, he needs games but he had a phenomenal year," said Henning.

"We'll see what he's thinking and see where he wants to go. He'll determine it next year by going to camp. Ever since the second half of last year (2007-08), he's gotten better and matured more. He's played well, but the big thing for me is his character.

"He's got huge character and when the chips are on the line, he wants to be the difference. When you see stuff like that, he has the make-up of a big-time player."