Ben Hutton appears to be headed toward unrestricted free agency.

The Vancouver Canucks are not planning to qualify the defenseman, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

As a player with arbitration rights, Hutton's salary was going to jump out of Vancouver's comfort zone, adds Friedman.

Hutton, a pending RFA, would become a UFA if the Canucks don't tender him a qualifying offer.

The 26-year-old produced 20 points over 69 games in his fourth NHL season and ranked second on the club in average ice time, logging 22:21 per contest.

He's coming off the second campaign of the two-year, $5.6-million extension Hutton signed with the club in November 2016.

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