Except by those in the know.

"I really see the whole package in him," veteran superstar Ray Bourque says about the 21-year-old who is now in his second NHL season. "He is so skilled and so poised for a young guy. I look at him as a player that could be, and you hate to label a player, but he could be great."

Most people in the Colorado organization tend to agree, even if they are somewhat more reluctant to start singing the praises of someone adapting to a difficult position. Ever cautious Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix will concede only that Skoula has impressive skills and the potential for bright future.

"He's very mature and he's got all the tools," Lacroix told SportsLine.com. "If he puts everything together and gets a couple more years of experience, he'll have a very successful career."

Which is all Skoula is hoping for at this point in his young hockey life.

Martin Skoula plays with unusual poise for a youngster.(AP)

A native of the Czech Republic, the soft-spoken blueliner didn't really plan on a professional career mainly because he grew up without much exposure to the NHL and its style of play. That changed when he came over to North America as an 18-year-old to play junior for Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League.

The adaptation was more difficult off the ice than on.

"I actually liked playing on the smaller ice better than the big rink, but it was tough because I didn't really speak the language," he said. "It was hard always being around people I didn't understand."

Skoula got his message across quickly, producing two impressive offensive seasons with the Colts that placed him high on the list of scouts. He was noted for being a superb skater who played a smart game and used his strength effectively.

The Avalanche believed and selected him in the first round of the 1998 draft, 17th overall.

"Everyone had a very high opinion of him," Lacroix said.

Little changed when he attended Colorado's training camp last season. Skoula came in hoping to get noticed, but since he was vying for a spot on a club that had veterans such as Sandis Ozolinsh, Adam Foote and Aaron Miller patrolling its own end, he realized he shouldn't get his hopes up too high.

"I didn't really expect anything, I just wanted to play my best and try to compare myself with other guys to see where I was," he said. "After a while, I realized I could play at this level."

Skoula not only made the team, he became one of the mainstays of the Avalanche defense last season, averaging about 18 minutes a game of ice time, an unusually heavy workload for a rookie defenseman. Even though he scored only three goals and 13 assists in his debut season, his other numbers -- most notably the ones that showed him finishing plus or even in 61 of the 80 games he played -- were more indicative of why he got on the ice as often as he did.

In fact coach Bob Hartley had no hesitation about putting the youngster in key situations throughout the season and in the playoffs. Hartley said that the young player earned the opportunities he received last year because he took tremendous advantage of the atmosphere in which he was immersed.

"We have so much leadership and experience in our dressing room, that young guys like him can't help but learn," the Avs coach said. "He had a good adjustment, but he also did a good job. We put him in situations where he could gain some experience and he did very well for us."

According to Hartley, Skoula rarely looked like a rookie, playing the game with a poise that few defensemen his age can manage.

"He showed some very positive signs of becoming a great defenseman," Hartley said. "He moved the puck well, he sees the ice well, and his positional play is excellent."

The six-foot-two, 214-pounder has had an even larger role this season, especially since the team decided to trade the offensive-minded Ozolinsh to Carolina during the summer. Of course having Bourque on the roster made that easier to do, but there is no doubt that Colorado expected the youngster to help pick up the offensive slack left behind.

"Even with the depth on our defense, considering how impressive he was, it's safe to say we see Martin Skoula in our top four defenseman," Hartley said. "He'll get plenty of ice time and his role will only get bigger."