在签名为return int的方法中返回null？

public int pollDecrementHigherKey(int x) {
            int savedKey, savedValue;
            if (this.higherKey(x) == null) {
                return null;  // COMPILE-TIME ERROR
            }
            else if (this.get(this.higherKey(x)) > 1) {        
                savedKey = this.higherKey(x);
                savedValue = this.get(this.higherKey(x)) - 1;
                this.remove(savedKey);
                this.put(savedKey, savedValue);
                return savedKey;
            }
            else {
                savedKey = this.higherKey(x);
                this.remove(savedKey);
                return savedKey;
            }
        }
public int pollDecrementHigherKey(int x) {