Yes.

I say that grudgingly.

I didn’t want to say it. The fan in me wanted to watch the rookie Alex Pietrangelo, 18, develop at the NHL level.

As recently as Nov. 8 I backed the idea of keeping Pietrangelo in St. Louis for the rest of the season. I had a selfish attitude about it. I have said from the beginning that the Blues won’t be a playoff team this season, so my viewing entertainment will come in the form of watching their youngsters learn, get their legs, build confidence and make progress. And I’m OK with that. The Blues’ total rebuilding will be a long, often excruciating process. That’s just the way it is.  It took the Pittsburgh Penguins several seasons of prime drafting to climb to the elite level.

Already we can see that the Blues are collecting an impressive supply of gifted young forwards. The line of Patrik Berglund, David Perron and Lee Stempniak was first rate at Buffalo. Seeing them play as they did only reinforced my optimism for the future.

So I’m patient.

(But not with some of the veterans on this team. More on that later).

In Petro’s case, the Blues did the smart thing. It wasn’t getting any easier for the kid. I thought he struggled at Buffalo Wednesday night.  He looked tentative, and overwhelmed at times. He clearly needs to get physically stronger to absorb some of the hits he’s taking during NHL games. You don’t want to see him get hurt. (That cheap-run in Toronto that took him out early in the season was scary).

We don’t want to see Pietrangelo’s potential offensive brilliance smothered by indecisiveness and gnawing self-doubt. The kid needs some breathing room. He needs to grow his game and gradually get his talent to flow.  And the only way to do that is to log lots of ice time for Niagra in the OHL. Pietrangelo wasn’t going to see much ice here in late-game situations.

So I don’t like to see Pietrangelo shipped back to Juniors, but it’s probably best.

(Sidebar: Please don’t whine about other rookie defenseman plucked in the 2008 Entry Draft and what they’re doing in the NHL. I realize that Toronto selected Luke Schenn after the Blues chose Pietrangelo, but Schenn is a rugged, stay-at-home type. That style makes for an easier NHL transition. Pietrangelo’s game is more diverse and will evolve around his skating, passing and quarterbacking skills. And Pietrangelo isn’t as far along as LA rookie Drew Doughty, the marvelous No. 2 overall pick, who is much closer to being a finished product.)

All of that said …

It’s not as if Petro was the only erratic defenseman back there, making mistakes.

What’s Eric Brewer’s excuse?

This is Brewer’s 10th NHL season. He’s making $4.2 million this year. He’s paid as a No. 1 defenseman. He’s on the ice as much as a No. 1 defenseman. He’s cast as a No. 1 defenseman.

One problem: Brewer doesn’t play like a No. 1 defenseman.

When I asked Andy Murray about this on our Team 1380 radio show the other day, Coach AM told me he utilizes Brewer as a No. 1 because he doesn’t really have another option for the role. With sophomore Erik Johnson out for the season with a knee inury, it leaves Brewer at the top of the defensive pyramid.

I understand what Murray is saying, but …

Understand that only 12 NHL defensemen have been given more ice time per game so far than Brewer.

Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, Duncan Keith, Zdeno Chara, Mike Green, Scott Niedermayer, Francois Beauchemin, Kimmo Timonen, Brian Campbell, Paul Martin, Nicklas Lidstrom and Mark Streit.

That’s right: Anaheim doesn’t play Chris Pronger as much as the Blues utilize Brewer. (It’s a minor difference in ice time, but still).

And of the 50 NHL defensemen who have played the most this season, only Atlanta’s Mathieu Schneider (minus 11) has a worse plus-minus rating than Brewer (minus 9).

I don’t know what the answer is, and I know Murray and the Blues were knocked back by E. Johnson’s shocking season-ending injury. But it just doesn’t seem wise to overexpose Brewer’s weaknesses. Brewer is an easy target. The fans and media clowns (like me) really pick on the guy. And he is a workhorse, which I respect. But Brewer’s average ice time per game (25:29) is the highest of his NHL career.

(Sidebar: let’s see what Jonas Junland can do for the Blues. And the strapping Tyson Strachan, for that matter. Pietrangelo isn’t the only young defenseman with a bright future.)

Is it possible for Brewer to be more effective by playing less?

Sorry to bring baseball into this, but the smartest managers recognize their players’ limitations and play them accordingly. In other words, if a hitter has big holes in his swing, he’s probably going to have a better chance to succeed if he has 350 plate appearances instead of 600 plate appearances. Why? The pitchers don’t have as many opportunities to attack the hitter’s weaknesses.

In football, cornerbacks who have less-than elite talent are deployed as nickel backs and get assigned to cover slot receivers instead of the top receivers. That way, the cornerback isn’t as vulnerable.

I’m just saying …

-B