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Sven Baertschi tries to beef up without slowing down

Sven Baertschi

Calgary Flames’ Sven Baertschi, from Switzerland, waits for a face off during first-period NHL hockey game action against the Winnepeg Jets in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, March 9, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

AP

Sven Baertschi might just be the most promising prospect in the Calgary Flames’ system, but many believe he needs to bulk up to make an impact at the NHL level.

Baertschi told the Flames’ Web site about his offseason goal to add muscle without sacrificing speed.

“You don’t want to get slow, you know?” Baertschi said. “You have to make sure you’re working on everything: speed, skill. All of that.”

The gritty-yet-skilled scorer has reportedly added around 10 lbs. to his frame, so it’ll be interesting to see if anything gets lost in the process.

Baertschi scored three goals in five games at the NHL level while lighting up the WHL (94 points in 47 games) when he wasn’t receiving big-time opportunities. He’s gearing up to jump to the AHL level next season, but he isn’t aiming for specific stats.

“I don’t set certain goals like, ‘I want to score 25 goals,’ - I just want to get better all-around as a hockey player, as a person,” Baertschi said. “When you try to improve your whole game, goals and points, they come. You have to do the little things right.”

Even if you’re not quite as little anymore.