Will rookie Alex Pietrangelo still be a Blue once Jonas Junland (shoulder) and Jeff Woywitka (foot) are back to full speed?

Will Pietrangelo pass his nine-game test, avoid a return trip to major junior hockey and start his NHL contract clock?

We’ll see. But the team’s No. 1 pick is still hanging around, doing his part to make the ’08 NHL Draft class one of the most impressive in some time.

The top five picks in that draft seem likely to start the season with their teams – along with some picks later in the first round.

Part of this is economics, since the salary cap prevents teams from employing extra veterans. And part it is just the quality of the group.

Pietrangelo impressed the bosses with a solid preseason. This performance was timely, given the demise of defenseman Erik Johnson and the dearth of offensive defensemen in Blues camp.

As a teenager, Pietrangelo has an opportunity to make a difference for this team. Fellow defensemen Drew Doughty (Kings), Zach Bogosian (Thrashers) and Luke Schenn (Maple Leafs) could do the same for their teams.

Perhaps the most intriguing prospect, though, is Blue Jackets winger Nikita Filatov. The sixth overall pick needs to bulk up and gain some understanding of defensive zone play, but his offensive upside is vast.

Had he stayed healthy through training camp, he might be closer to making the jump. But coach Ken Hitchcock has his hands full getting skilled rookies Derek Brassard and Jakub Voracek up to speed for this season.

“What’s really unfortunate for Nikky is he missed most of camp,” Hitchcock told the Columbus Dispatch. “If he had a full training camp and gotten here earlier, he might be twice the player he is now.

“You can see marked improvement every time he steps on the ice . . . He’s just scratching the surface on what we think is going to be a heck of a player.”

If the Blue Jackets kids come through, Columbus will be a whole lot better than most experts believe. And the same could be said of the Blues IF both Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie sustain their push.

Both teams have defensive-minded coaches and solid goaltending. If both teams boost their offense, they could make a move.

And then the Western Conference will REALLY get intense.

AROUND THE RINKS: Pietrangelo’s  strong camp lessened the team’s interest in free-agent offensive defenseman Bryan Berard, who failed to make the Flyers in camp . . .  Free-agent winger Brendan Shanahan ought to know if there is an Eastern Conference gig for him by the end of the week . . . Free agent winger Glenn Murray would already have landed a job, but for a nagging ankle injury . . . Free agent winger Mark Parrish hasn’t gotten a solid offer yet, but that could change as injuries hit and teams shed unwanted players . . . Rumors persist in Minnesota that the Wild will move Marian Gaborik if efforts to extend his contract fail. Despite his injury history, Gaborik could fetch plenty in the trade mart. But how could the Wild overcome the loss of their franchise player?