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Canucks undecided on buying out Burrows and/or Higgins

Vancouver Canucks v Winnipeg Jets

WINNIPEG, MB - MARCH 12: Alexandre Burrows #14 of the Vancouver Canucks congratulates Chris Higgins #20 on his game-winning goal in shootout action in an NHL game against the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre on March 12, 2014 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Marianne Helm/Getty Images)

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The Vancouver Canucks have not yet decided if they’ll buy out veteran forwards Alex Burrows and/or Chris Higgins.

GM Jim Benning told Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy that what happens in free agency could be a factor. Benning is expected to try and add a top UFA winger like Milan Lucic, Loui Eriksson, or Kyle Okposo.

And that’s where it could get a bit tricky. The Canucks can start interviewing free agents on June 25, but they can’t officially sign them until July 1, after the buyout window ends June 30. So those could be an interesting few days for Benning. He’ll have to gain a good idea of his chances of landing one of his targets.

Burrows, 35, and Higgins, 33, each have a year left on their contracts, with cap hits of $4.5 million and $2.5 million, respectively. Buying out the former would mean a $2.5 million cap hit next season, and a $1 million hit in 2017-18. Buying out the latter would mean an $833,333 hit in each of the next two seasons.

Besides buyouts, other options include trading one or both of them (if possible, which it might not be), or keeping one or both of them.

Burrows had just nine goals in 79 games last season, though he did finish fourth on the team with 135 shots.

Higgins had just three goals in 33 NHL games. He spent part of the season with AHL Utica.

Related: Higgins clears waivers, assigned to AHL