The Washington Capitals were not buyers at the trade deadline
The Washington Capitals needed to trade Evgeny Kuznetsov. He needed a change of scenery and the Capitals needed to let him go.
That doesn't take away that an incredibly skilled player who has been incredible in the playoffs was removed from the mix.
Washington wasn't this insane seller or anything like that beyond Kuznetsov either but they were far from a buyer. They didn't sell anything to make their current roster better.
Most of the teams that made the playoffs, including the Rangers, did do at least something. The Caps didn't think they'd be a playoff team so they were closer to being sellers than buyers.
This isn't to say they would have won the Cup if they traded two first-round picks for better players but they might have had a slightly better chance.
No matter what, the Capitals are going to be proud of this season. In a year where few believed in them, they got the job done.