It has been a whirlwind year for Pittsburgh Penguins' prospect Vasily Ponomarev.
The 23-year-old Russian forward was brought to Pittsburgh from the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2024 trade deadline as part of the blockbuster Jake Guentzel trade, and it hasn't all been smooth-sailing since.
"There’s a huge difference between Carolina hockey and here," Ponomarev said.
And he struggled with that transition a bit, especially in the earlygoing this season. Carolina's man-to-man, defense-heavy system lies in stark contrast to Pittsburgh's offense-oriented, zone-style defensive system, and it's something that even Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) assistant general manager Amanda Kessel acknowledged that Ponomarev has needed some time to fully grasp.
"I think that he's grown a ton," Kessel said. "At the beginning of the year, some of his, kind of, coming from a different organization and playing lots of man-on-man... some of the d-zone was, at times, a bit challenging.
"But, he's responded super well and come up with huge goals for us. His two-way game is really developing. He's somebody that gives it everything he has every single night."
And Ponomarev realized he needed to make some adjustments, too. Some of it involved tweaking his playing style in relation to learning the new system, and some of it involved the mental side of the game.
“I think right now it’s much better than it was earlier in the year," Ponomarev said. "I changed my mind mentally more, and I felt like I’ve become stronger. But my game mentality became a little bit different, and I don’t want to talk about it too much. It’s very personal.
"Nothing crazy, but I just understood that I have to play a little bit different way than I did earlier in the year. And, right now, I feel perfectly on the ice when I’m at the NHL level... and I think it’s a good point to start growing up.”
'I Have No Doubt This Thing's Going To Be Turned Around Quickly': After Lost Season, Penguins Optimistic About FutureFor one final time this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins gathered at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. - this, time, for locker cleanout day.
Ponomarev mentioned some areas of that growth in his game - and in the system - during locker cleanout day on Friday. He feels that his three NHL games at the end of the season were good ones, and he will look to build off of it as the WBS Penguins head into the Calder Cup playoffs.
He has played a huge role on that team, registering 15 goals and 40 points in 54 games. He plays a large role on both special teams units, and he had found chemistry on a line with Avery Hayes - who recently signed his entry-level contract - and Rutger McGroarty, who will likely miss the beginning of the AHL playoffs with a lower-body injury sustained at the NHL level.
The trio has mostly been kept intact since the Prospects Challenge in August, and a lot of that chemistry has been built because of their off-ice relationship.
“I think we found our game in the middle half of this year around December," Ponomarev said. "And those are great dudes. I love them not only on the ice... off the ice, we are huge friends. I think I’m going to be missing 'Rut' in the first round, and I hope he’s joining us in the future rounds to go help us win a Calder Cup because it’s the most important achievement in our league right now.
"And that’s what we want. I think the whole team is passionate about the Calder Cup right now.”
And a Calder Cup run is something Ponomarev believes the team can achieve. He mentioned that the team's second half and more recent play has given them a lot of confidence heading into the playoffs, but - just like many others - the closeness of the team is perhaps the biggest factor.
“I think one of the most important things is that we are really close as a team," Ponomarev said. "Together we are like a family inside the room and outside as well, because I know we love each other and I feel that everyone’s got the same passion."
And passion is certainly something that shows in Ponomarev's own game, too. His effort and energy are things that have earned him the respect of the coaching staff, and his contributions aren't going unnoticed.
WBS Penguins Fall 3-2 To Bruins, Slip In StandingsThe Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (39-23-7-1) played their 70th game of the season on Wednesday night, dropping a tightly contested 3-2 affair to the Providence Bruins, who broke a tie in the standings between the two clubs.
"I think he's an effort-driven guy," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think he's a guy who can bring energy and help us gain momentum. He's a conscientious player defensively, he can help us on the penalty kill with his conscientious play there... but he's a momentum guy, he's an energy guy, and I think he's one of those guys who can make us harder to play against with his tenacity."
Effort is always the biggest part of the equation for Ponomarev, who is a pending-restricted free agent this summer. While signing a new contract is his top priority, he knows he needs to be both physically and mentally prepared to take a run at an NHL roster spot if given the chance with Pittsburgh next season.
He plans to work as hard as he ever has to make that happen. But he knows he needs to make time for some other passions, too.
"I know we’ll spend some time on our go-karts this summer," Ponomarev said. "We’ll drive every day as fast as possible.”
Which RFAs Should The Penguins Keep?It should be quite the summer for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the free agent market.
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