Schneider signed an entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks on July 3, 2007. He was regarded as the Canucks' third-string goalie behind Roberto Luongo and the newly acquired backup Curtis Sanford. Following his first NHL training camp, he was assigned to the Canucks' minor league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL). After a shaky start to the 2007–08 season (3–7–0 record, 3.69 GAA and .872 save percentage in 11 games), he was privately called out by head coach Scott Arniel in mid-December after being pulled the previous game. In recalling the meeting, Schneider has commented that " was one of the first guys to...tell me I wasn't good enough, something that I hadn't really heard a lot growing up. Sometimes it's something you need to hear." From that point on, he emerged as Manitoba's starting goalie over fellow Canucks prospect Drew MacIntyre, and was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for March. He finished the season with a 21–12–2 record, 2.28 GAA and .916 save percentage. Although the Moose were eliminated in the first round by the Syracuse Crunch, Schneider had an impressive playoffs, recording a 1.92 GAA and .938 save percentage over six games.