Will he be ready to start next season in the NHL? Probably not. His late-season injury, a lacerated spleen, cut into his off-season training. He still has to fill out his 6-foot-3 frame. He also must improve his defensive game.

That is a lot to do through one summer and one training camp. But his offensive potential exceeds the upside of defensive-minded prospects Roman Polak and Ian Cole.

Could Pietrangelo become a 60-point defenseman?

“I’ve got to get my first one first,” Pietrangelo told TSN with a chuckle. “I’m going to go in there and make an impact as soon as possible.”

“We were looking for a puck-moving defenseman,” Blues president John Davidson said. “We know he skates well, he’s involved, he’s a transition player. He is going to be a big part of our future.”

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Here is what Central Scouting said about him: “Alex is very poised out there on the ice. A tall player, who is still growing in to his body, Alex brings a keen ability to know when to pass the puck out of the zone, when to carry the puck out of the zone and he’s unflustered in the face of a hard forecheck. He probably needs to get a little more assertive.”