Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving makes his feelings clear on Florida Panthers reaching their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final

GM Brad Treliving had to watch his Toronto Maple Leafs lose in Game 7 against the Florida Panthers. Then, he had to watch the Panthers, a division rival, go to the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive season.

The Panthers are potentially in the midst of a dynasty, and the Maple Leafs have struggled to get to the Stanley Cup Final since 1967. It's difficult to endure such a streak, and seeing a rival do it with frequency makes it even harder.

"They've set the bar in our division," Treliving said on Thursday, according to Chris Johnston. "They've set the bar in our league. That's what we aspire to."

It's not totally impossible to imagine a world where Toronto would be in the finals if they had beaten Florida. The Carolina Hurricanes fell in five games and were outscored by 13 goals across those five games. Had it been Toronto, they might also have done short work on the overperforming Canes.

"That series is going to stay with me for a long time," Treliving said. "The way it ended is going to stay with me a long time. When you think you have a chance to win and you don’t, it stays with you for a long time."

The Leafs went home with a lot of questions. Although they were roundly defeated in Game 7, it's fair to say they were within one game of a good shot at making the Stanley Cup Final.

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Brad Treliving regrets end of season with Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs made an attempt to change things and rewrite the narrative. They brought in former St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube, hoping a brand-new system and demanding boss would revitalize the "Core Four."

Brad Treliving regrets how things ended (Imagn)

Instead, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and the others fell short yet again in the playoffs. GM Brad Treliving said after the season that this was not what they envisioned, even after all the offseason changes.

"We fell short of where I thought we could be," he said.

The Leafs have gone on to let president of hockey operations Brendan Shanahan go, so more changes have already been undertaken.