Postma not taking anything for granted

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This article was published 27/03/2016 (3481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Paul Postma has been around too long — and been through too much — to take anything for granted.

And so while the Winnipeg Jets defenceman has just completed a calendar week in which he played all four games, scoring his first two goals of the season, he knows better than to think beyond Monday’s game in Philadelphia against the Flyers.

Losing a good chunk of your prime to a blood-clot issue and an assortment of other hurts and watching for long stretches from the press box tends to change a man’s perspective on life, after all. It forces you to live in the moment, as they say.

“I’ve taught myself that,” said Postma. “I have been through a lot, more mentally than physically. I mean, two years ago I get that blood clot and it ruins my season. I’ve been out of the lineup quite a bit, but it’s just made me stronger mentally.

“If I can get through stuff like that, I think I can get through anything.”

Postma, like so many else wearing Jets colours down the stretch here, understands that every shift is an audition of sorts. Paul Maurice & Co. are evaluating everyone in the lineup, changing their roles and linemates/defensive partners on a nightly basis.

But Postma isn’t your average garden-variety prospect. He’s 27 now and has been a name on the organizational depth chart dating back to 2007, when the Atlanta Thrashers made him a seventh-round draft pick. Still, all these years later and he only has 119 NHL games to his credit.

“I’ve been here long enough I think the coaches know what I bring to the table,” he said. “But, in the same sense, we’ve still got a lot to play for here — pride and going into next year with good habits. We’re not going to let that slip away and finish strong here.”

What Postma has always brought to the table is an offensive punch from the blueline and some solid possession numbers — his Corsi is second on the Jets only to Mathieu Perreault. Where he has struggled is to find consistency in his game, particularly in the defensive end. That comes with confidence, though, and Postma has struggled to grow that when playing so infrequently.

“Scoring against Anaheim… that was a monkey off the back,” said Postma of his first goal of the season. “I almost took a deep breath and then had a sigh of relief. It’s amazing what just one goal can do to your confidence. And then you start playing with more… I still think I can skate a little more with the puck, but I’m definitely feeling better out there the more I play.

“I’m in a tough position here with this team. There’s not many teams that are stacked on the right side (defensively), but this is one of them. You’ve got Buff (Dustin Byfuglien) you’ve got (Tyler) Myers and you’ve got (Jacob) Trouba. For me to sneak in there is a pretty tough thing to do.

“I’m just going to try and control the things I can control and just make sure I’m ready to play when I do get that opportunity and make the most of it.”

But where does that leave Postma now, what with everyone’s eyes focused more on what the depth chart will look like next fall than in the seven remaining games? Postma has one year left on his one-way contract, but current regulars Byfuglien, Toby Enstrom, Myers, Ben Chiarot and Mark Stuart all have term left, while Trouba is a restricted free agent and will likely at least sign a bridge deal this summer.

Josh Morrissey, Julian Melchiori and prospect Tucker Poolman might also all push for work next season. So, Maurice was asked, what is Postma’s future with the club, especially knowing how stacked the team is on the right side?

“(Postma has) also seen that we’ve played Jacob Trouba an awful lot on the left side this year,” said Maurice. “And there’s not a lot of NHL experience, or any really, after the guys that are in that lineup. This is maybe his best opportunity.

“I don’t know as much about him as you would think over the period of time that he’s been here because of the three righties he didn’t get much of a look this year. When I came in he had a blood clot that he was coming out of and he just hadn’t played an awful lot of hockey. He played some important games for us when we had some injuries and then unfortunately for him he got injured at times. For his age he doesn’t have a whole lot of NHL experience and you usually see a pretty quick curve with those guys. Once they get into a few games you start to get a feel for what they can do. He’s improved.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait