Paul Postma was nothing more than a depth defenseman in Boston

Paul Postma - D

Analysis:

Paul Postma’s only season in Boston was everything short of spectacular. The 29-year-old defenseman suited up in just 14 games with the big club, registering one assist and a minus-two rating. He averaged 10:14 time on ice per game and continued the tradition of being an under-performing player with the No. 14 jersey.

He joined the Bruins on a one-year deal last summer after spending ten years in the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers organization. The signing was no more than a depth signing. Boston already had Brandon Carlo, Charlie McAvoy, Adam McQuaid, and Kevan Miller on the right side of its defense, so it was going to be an uphill battle for Postma to earn a spot. And his lack of ability to do, well, just about anything forced him to get acclimated to the scenery of the TD Garden from the ninth floor.

Postma’s tenure in Boston also included a 13-game in the minors. He was waived on February 25, the same day the Bruins acquired Rick Nash, and was subsequently assigned to Providence after clearing. With the P-Bruins, Postma tallied a goal and eight assists, and provided stability on the right side (Providence only had one right-handed defenseman for most of the season).

I would say the highlight of Postma’s Bruins career was when the team tweeted photos of him reuniting with his dog during a practice in Calgary. I mean, seeing a legit smile on the dog’s face is truly spectacular.

Aggregate Grade: D+

While Postma was about as invisible as you can get on the ice, he did not make any egregious errors nor had any costly mistakes. He was just a ghost who did nothing to present himself to the eyes of hockey fans in Boston.

I will never understand Postma’s reasoning for signing with the Bruins, either. He claimed that with righties Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, and Jacob Trouba in front of him on the depth chart in Winnipeg, he was never going to be able to develop further in the NHL. So, why did you come to Boston, which had almost the same exact situation on its blueline?

The signing was strange at the time and I think Postma’s development actually regressed last season. It is obvious that joining the Bruins did not work out for him, as he is still available on the market after free agency opened a month ago.