Paul Postma will be wearing No. 4, Zach Bogosian's old number, when Winnipeg Jets training camp opens this weekend.

In addition, Postma's locker is right beside Bogosian's in the Jets dressing room.

It's fitting, because it appears Postma will be playing the role of Bogosian when the condensed NHL season begins next weekend. Bogosian is still recovering from wrist surgery, so there's a gaping hole on the blue-line.

All Postma has to do now is step right into that spot.

"It's no secret that Bogosian's been out," Postma said Thursday after his first informal skate in Winnipeg. "That's obviously a blessing in disguise for me. It's a big hit to the team. He's a great player and those are some big shoes to fill, but obviously it opens up a spot. I'm ready to take advantage of that."

Postma had a strong training camp in October 2011, but there was no room on the blue-line for the former Calgary Hitmen rearguard. He went back to St. John's to continue his development, and the Jets liked what they saw because they rewarded him with a one-way contract last summer.

That means the Jets view him as a player who belongs in the NHL, but Macenauer isn't taking anything for granted. He'll have plenty of competition from his St. John's teammates, Zach Redmond and Derek Meech (if he's healthy), when camp opens.

"There's probably more pressure on me," Postma said. "I try not to think about that too much, but I definitely want to go out there and prove that I'm able to play here. I think I'm ready for it."

The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder always had plenty of offensive flair on the point, so his mission in recent years was to improve his defensive game. That shows in his St. John's stats this season, as Postma is tied for the team lead with 18 points, and his minus-3 rating is one of the best ones on a squad that sits in the AHL's Atlantic Division basement.

Even though his big chance to make the jump was put on hold by the NHL lockout, the 23-year-old used the work stoppage to improve his game even more.

"I took full advantage of that," he said. "St. John's is a great organization, and obviously it was nice to be playing this entire time and staying in game shape. I think we have that advantage.

"(The lockout) definitely was disappointing. Frustrating, to say the least. The way I looked at it was: Control the things you can control, and wherever I was going to be I was going to work hard and try to get better. For me, that was in St. John's. I'm happy the lockout's over, and I'm ready to play."

kirk.penton@sunmedia.ca

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