Ponomarev was reassigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday.
Ponomarev filled the third-line center role Saturday in a 3-2 loss to the Flyers, but he didn't get on the scoresheet. The 22-year-old will resume playing regularly for the farm team, and he may not come back up after the 4 Nations Face-Off if the Penguins are healthier at forward in two weeks.