Brian MacLellan was telling the truth. The Capitals general manager said earlier this month that he did not envision being aggressive at the trade deadline as in past years. And indeed, when the deadline came and went Monday, MacLellan failed to make a move comparable to last year’s deal for Anthony Mantha or 2017’s acquisition of Kevin Shattenkirk — big swings aimed at pushing the Capitals over the top.
But that didn’t mean MacLellan did nothing, either.
The Capitals (35-19-10, 80 points) acquired forward Johan Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes and old friend Marcus Johansson from the Seattle Kraken — two veterans that add depth to a suddenly hot Washington team.