Insider reveals just how much rope the Core 4 has left in Toronto

The most important factor in all of this is about getting better. The Leafs have already informed each of the members within its core that the plan is to have them all back next season. If a trade arises that management and ownership feels will make the team better, I'm certain they'll look at it. However, making a change for the sake of making a change does not appear to be the Leafs' modus operandi and there's still a great deal of belief that the core can continue to make strides, get better and break through the door after so many years of being right there and knocking on it.

TSN's Darren Dreger was a guest on this morning's edition of Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill and he had some interesting things to say about where the team is at with the Core 4 currently. While there is a great deal of belief in the group, Dreger did affirm that if there's another early exit next spring, then how Shanahan and Treliving feel about the Core 4 won't matter and the Leafs could be looking at wholesale changes and not just at ice level.

To me, this seems an awful lot like what we heard last summer. We were told all year that the season doesn't matter and that only the playoffs will determine what happens this summer. Well, this summer finally came and while the Leafs won a round, they didn't show up for the 2nd round, there were no sweeping changes. In fact, the only loss was Dubas, and had he not appeared for an ill-advised press conference, he might be back as well.

Running it back really doesn't seem like the best option to many, but I do understand the idea that if you're moving a Mitch Marner or a William Nylander, if you're not getting tangibly better, then the move probably isn't worth making. However, I also understand the frustration from the fans, who dedicate so much of their lives and their emotions to supporting the team only to be dealt disappointing blow after disappointing blow when April and May come around. Eventually, change will come. When it does, though, I hope it's after a deep run or a Cup win rather than blowing it up and starting over because the window closed with little to show for it.