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Stecher is so good he has even come up with his own nickname: Cannonball.

Remember, the undrafted kid from Richmond was playing college hockey last spring and started the season in the American Hockey League, where he was supposed to spend his rookie year learning to be a pro and developing his game so that he might play next year or the one after in the NHL.

Photo by Ross D. Franklin / AP

And now that Edler is out, joining first-pairing partner Chris Tanev (ankle) in the medical room, Stecher may be the Canucks’ best defenceman.

This was the Canucks’ worst first quarter of a season since 1997, but Stecher has been the best part of it.

“He shouldn’t be playing that kind of ice time,” Willie Desjardins said Saturday, sounding like a head coach. “But he’s so competitive, eh? He just finds a way. He was so good in the third period. It’s pretty amazing what he’s doing. We found a guy we didn’t expect to be where he’s at right now. We’re lucky that he’s here.”

Even teammates are surprised.

“When I first saw him,” Sbisa said, “I was like: ‘Is this the new guy we signed? He’s pretty small — he better have some skill.’ Whew, has he surprised me. He’s been unreal for us.

“Usually, new guys can come in play well, but after the first little while, they hit that bump in the road. Sometimes a guy kind of realizes where he is. Not with him. Hopefully, he keeps going. He wants the puck; he’s got all the confidence in the world.”

We found a guy we didn’t expect to be where he’s at right now. We’re lucky that he’s here

Veteran winger Alex Burrows added: “He doesn’t take it for granted, too. He knows he’s got to show up every game and every practice. He listens to everything we talk about. And he competes hard. I think he’s always been overlooked his entire life. I’m sure he got cut from many teams, but he just overcame all those challenges.”