by BY JEREMY RUTHERFORD ¿ jrutherford@post-dispatch.com > 314-444-7135 , St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Veteran defenseman Barret Jackman was placed on the injured-reserve list Friday with a sprained ankle, which he suffered in the first period of Thursday's 4-2 loss to Atlanta. Jackman finished the game and X-rays were negative, but the ankle was sore enough Friday that he was wearing a walking boot.

"I went to get a puck (behind the net) and had a guy on me," Jackman said. "I tried to turn back and kind of got clipped at the same time, and my leg crossed underneath me ... he tried to get a piece of me and it turned out to be bad timing.

"We'll take it day to day here, do some rehab, and we'll reevaluate it each day."

Blues coach Andy Murray said that the timetable for Jackman's return is "week to week" but he added, "Barret Jackman is one tough customer and he'll be back as soon as he can be."

Jackman's placement on the IR means that he will miss a minimum of seven days. The Blues play two games during that time, including tonight against Los Angeles at Scottrade Center.

Murray said that rookie Alex Pietrangelo would replace Jackman in the lineup against the Kings. Pietrangelo, the NHL's fourth overall pick in 2008, has been a healthy scratch in the first three games this season.

Just a few days ago, Murray told reporters "there are all kind of reasons to put (Pietrangelo) in. He needs to play, he's young, he can add an offensive element. He needs to get experience. I can come up with 1,000 reasons why 'Petro' should play."

But Murray said that he didn't have a reason to take any of the Blues defensemen out of the lineup. The injury to Jackman changes that.

"It means that we get a chance to see Pietrangelo play, and we expect him to play well," Murray said. "He just needs to play good. He just needs to show us that he can play good at this level. He's had a really good training camp and we're excited to have him going in the lineup. It's a great opportunity for him. It'll be exciting to watch him play."

In Friday's practice, Pietrangelo was paired on the blue line with Erik Johnson. The other two pairings were Darryl Sydor-Roman Polak and Carlo Colaiacovo-Mike Weaver.

Johnson saw 25 minutes, 35 seconds of ice time Thursday, which was the most on the team. But a pairing of the third-year defenseman and the rookie Pietrangelo illustrates the Blues' inexperience on the blue line.

"It means we have less experience on the blue line and it's an opportunity for somebody else," Murray said. "I have to look at it that way. It's the only way you can look at it."

Pietrangelo said he's looking forward to playing tonight.

"You practice hard every day, but there's a little more excitement ... there's a sense of urgency when you know you're in the lineup," he said. "There's a lot of depth on this team, and whether it's me or somebody else not in the lineup, everybody wants a chance to play."

Pietrangelo is one of several defensemen from the NHL's 2008 draft class trying to make a name for himself. The No. 3 overall pick from '08, Zach Bogosian, came to town Thursday with Atlanta. Tonight, the No. 2 overall pick, Drew Doughty, will visit with the Kings.

"Last year might go down in history as one of the best years ever for drafting defensemen," Murray said. "I'd have to look back and look if there was a comparable year where so many defensemen went in the top five picks ... probably never.

"(But) what you're looking at, it's what you have (in the player) for a long period of time with a team, not what you have right now. We're certainly happy with Petro's development that way."

Pietrangelo is familiar with both Bogosian and Doughty, having gone through the draft process with them. But while fans may make the comparisons among the three young defensemen, Pietrangelo said that he has to be careful not to get caught measuring himself against them.

"You know, it's exciting to see those guys, and there's a bunch of other young d-men playing games," Pietrangelo said. "It just goes to show that our draft was deep. But in the same sense, I can't worry about them. It's exciting to see that, I'm happy for them, but I've got to worry about myself."

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