50 Most Outstanding Players in St. Louis Blues History: 30-21

25. Alex Pietrangelo

Defenseman, 2008-present; 508 games, 59 goals, 221 assists, plus-48 rating, 171 PIM (as of February 3, 2017)

It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that the Blues selected Pietrangelo with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft, but after 508 games and just over six-and-a-half full seasons, Pietrangelo has already established himself as one of the best players in franchise history.

The beginning of Pietrangelo’s NHL career was rather odd, as he was sent down to juniors in each of his first two seasons after spending the allowed nine-game trial period for junior players in the NHL. Since emerging full-time as a 21-year-old in 2010-11, though, Pietrangelo has consistently been the Blues’ most responsible defenseman in his own zone and has also consistently delivered a nice boost defensively. He led Blues defensemen in points during his first five full seasons, and he etched his name into Blues history last August by becoming the franchise’s 21st captain.

While Pietrangelo’s skill might not be fully appreciated in St. Louis, he’s certainly made his presence known on a national level. He was an All-Star in 2011-12 and 2013-14, earned votes for the Norris Trophy every season from 2011-12 to 2014-15, got votes for the Lady Byng Trophy in ’10-’11, ’12-’13, ’14-’15, and ’15-’16, won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and was on the Canadian squad that won the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Pietrangelo is signed through 2019-20, so it’s quite possible that he could wind up being one of the top three or four defensemen in franchise history before it’s all said and done.