The Toronto Maple Leafs' 2024 playoff run began with all the familiar feelings of postseason hockey: a little bit of hope, but mostly dread, fear, and a 24/7 anxiety enveloping the city.

And unfortunately, the Leafs were never quite at full strength these playoffs, with star forward Auston Matthews missing a significant chunk of the series.

Midway through Game 4, Matthews was pulled from the ice after 40 minutes by the team doctor, before eventually sitting Games 5 and 6.

While Matthews returned for Game 7 and registered an assist on William Nylander's game-opening goal midway through the third period, Toronto ended up falling 2-1 in overtime.

Speaking to the media today for the first time since the season ended, Toronto general manager Brad Treliving added more details about what was ailing Matthews earlier in the series.

Treliving said that the hit suffered in Game 4 also came to "present head injury issues" for Matthews, which caused him to be pulled by the doctor, while also confirming that Matthews was suffering from an illness.

Treliving was flanked by MLSE CEO Keith Pelley and Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, the first time the trio had made a public appearance together since Pelley's hiring last month.

"It was tough. I got really sick after Game 2," Matthews said at his end-of-season media availability earlier this week. "I played in Game 3, obviously just kind of going through that and was still trying to recover going into Game 4, took a weird hit and couldn't go any longer. That's as detailed as I'm going to get."

Matthews said it was "tough" to be on the sidelines and not medically cleared to compete.

"It was really frustrating," he added Monday. "It sucks and it was killing me to watch. Proud of the guys and how they fought and climbed their way back into the series. I was fortunate to get to play in that Game 7. Just try to go out there and give it my all and obviously, it's disappointing and frustrating being here today."