Postma knows all about waiting for an opportunity.

First the Red Deer, Alberta, native waited until the seventh round in the 2007 NHL Draft before the Atlanta Thrashers selected him with pick No. 205. Then it took him nearly four years to get his first crack at the NHL.

Even when Atlanta called him up for the first time on Feb. 15, 2011, he returned to the minors without having played in an NHL game. During a second call-up that season, Postma finally made his League debut, on March 9, 2011. He played 9:55 over 17 shifts and had one shot, one hit and two blocks in a 3-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes - the only NHL game Postma would play that season. After the franchise relocated to Winnipeg for 2011-12, Postma saw limited in action in three November road games that season.

The lockout-shortened 2012-13 season gave Postma his first extended playing time in the NHL. In his second game he got his first NHL point with an assist on a Chris Thorburn goal in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 21, 2013. On Feb. 1, 2013, Postma scored his first NHL goal and notched his first multipoint game with a goal and two assists in an 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On April 2, 2013, Postma had his first two-goal game in the NHL, scoring both Jets goals in a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders. For the season, Postma led all Jets rookies in games (34), goals (four), assists (five) and points (nine).

Postma missed 47 games during the 2013-14 season because of a blood clot in his leg, and during 2014-15 injuries helped limit Postma to one game after Jan. 8.

On July 10, 2015, Winnipeg signed Postma, a restricted free agent, to a two-year contract.

Postma led Western Hockey League defensemen with 84 points in 2008-09, when he was nominated for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league's best defenseman.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• WHL East First All-Star Team (2009)
• Canadian Major Junior Second All-Star Team (2009)
• AHL First All-Star Team (2012)
• Transferred to Winnipeg after Atlanta franchise relocated, June 21, 2011.
• Signed as a free agent by Boston, July 1, 2017.