Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins Re-Assign Forward to the AHL

After seemingly hurting his left shoulder in a preseason game on October 1, Ponomarev had been out injured, scoring one goal in three preseason contests.

After battling with his upper body injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins declared on October 31, 2024, that forward Vasily Ponomarev had been activated from Injured Non-Roster. At a crucial moment for the AHL team, Ponomarev was reassigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

This early in the season, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are dealing with seven injured players:

Ponomarev is in his first full season with the Penguins after being acquired in a trade that sent All-Star forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 7. Ponomarev made four appearances for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after the deal, scoring one goal in the previous campaign. His season ended early on March 22 due to a high ankle sprain.

Ponomarev has participated in 120 AHL games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Tucson Roadrunner, and Chicago Wolves. In those 120 games, he has scored 36 goals and provided 50 assists. Ponomarev is a center whose presence is felt during every play in which he skates.

Ponomarev can go to the net without fear and is a good playmaker. At the age of 22, he satisfies every Pittsburgh requirement. It's reasonable to assume that he will be a contender to earn a spot on the team's roster and prove to be a great asset if he can maintain his health.