Askarov told reporters Friday that he changed his training regimen and added 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.
The extra muscle should help Askarov hold up over a longer NHL campaign. He played in 47 games last year, going 21-20-4 with a 3.63 GAA and an .883 save percentage while occasionally sharing the crease with Alex Nedeljkovic. Askarov is poised to compete for starts again early in the year, but if his performance improves, it won't be long before he's the clear No. 1 between the pipes.