Music: {allcanada} SETTING RECORD STRAIGHT ON LACK

Friday, August 3, 2012

{allcanada} SETTING RECORD STRAIGHT ON LACK

The Vancouver Province indicates that restricted free agent goaltender Eddie Lack didn't accept his qualifying offer and despite rumours he would return to his native Sweden to resume his career, that's not the case.

The towering stopper is expected eventually to sign a flexible long-term contract because of a possible lockout to provide some stability and security and allow him to develop in the same manner that Cory Schneider did with the Manitoba Moose. It will also provide another season of overall maturity and allow the Canucks to search for a short-term backup fix once the Roberto Luongo trade is completed. Last season, Lack earned $67,500 at the AHL level in an expiring contract that had a $900,000 salary cap hit at the NHL level, including performance and signing bonus structures.

"We keep talking to the club and everything is positive in respect to that," said agent Kurt Overhardt, who knows that his client is probably a year away from being a capable NHL backup to Schneider. "It's not a race. He's still very young and Eddie is going to be in the NHL when he's 25. It's a smart man's approach to developing a hockey team."