This is the slow time of year, and getting slower. We're down to a crawl and soon even that will end. While I do have ice every winter, as bad as my liner ever was I cannot even visualize what you are describing. Since you are planning on replacing the liner, I can only give a wild guess as to what's best. My first suggestion would be to NOT cover the pool, leave it open. That way, in the liner ruptures, a cover weighted down with water, ice and snow won't pull down your walls. My second suggestion would be to add guy lines to the outside so if you lose water you have additional support to prevent it collapsing inward.

But as I said, I'm guessing.