I totally agree with Troy, really missing some leadership here, and I think the team is forcing it from Kovalchuk.
I'll admit, he is a gifted goal scorer, but he just doesnt have the mental tenacity to carry a team. Zidlicky falls in the same category. Like Kovy, he has a gift for making plays, but when the going gets tough he gets lost and scared.
If I were Deboer, I'd cut Kovy's minutes down, give em to Zach, and run the first PP unit with Greene and Fayne and Kovy on left wing. He likes to shoot so much from that sharp angle, might as well have him do it as a wing.