Eddie Lack is on his way to the Carolina Hurricanes. (USATSI)
Eddie Lack is on his way to the Carolina Hurricanes. (USATSI)

It was a matter of when, and not if, the Vancouver Canucks were going to trade one of their three goalies this weekend, and on Saturday morning the team dealt backup goalie Eddie Lack to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a pair of draft picks.

In return for Lack, the Canucks will receive a third-round pick in 2016 and a seventh-round pick in 2017.

Given that Robin Lehner was able to get Ottawa a first-round draft pick on Friday that seems like an underwhelming return for the Canucks. It should be pointed out that the going rate for most goalies like Lack tends to be around a third-round pick. He is also four years older than Lehner and has fewer remains remaing on his contract, but he is also coming off of a better season (.921 save percentage in 41 appearances, including 32 starts) and has comparable career numbers.

This is the third goalie the Canucks have traded over the past three years and they don't have a ton to show for them right now.

It leaves the Canucks with Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom in net for the upcoming season.

But the real intrigue here is what follow up move the Hurricanes have coming because they now have three goalies under contract for this season as Lack joins a crowded goal crease that already includes veteran Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin. Ward is entering the final year of his contract and has had an up-and-down career since leading the team to a Stanley Cup during his rookie season in 2006. 

Khudobin had a great debut season with the Hurricanes in 2013-14, but badly regressed this past season. 

Lack is an unrestricted free agent after this season, but they will save some cap space by replacing one of the other two goalies on the roster with him. 

If Lack can help stabilize the position it could make a big impact for the Hurricanes in 2015-16 as only a handful of teams were hurt more by goaltending than they were this past season.