You know the old saying about how two things can be true at once? That very much applies to the New York Rangers’ pending roster decisions.

In reassigning forward Gabe Perreault and defenseman Scott Morrow to AHL Hartford on Friday, president Chris Drury and new coach Mike Sullivan seem to be leaning toward keeping a few unexciting veterans over some of the organization’s top prospects, which is stoking angst among a frustrated fan base. The wound is still fresh from last season’s faceplant, and diehards have witnessed years of draft misses and botched development plans. Their skepticism is warranted.

It’s critical for Rangers brass to recognize the moment. Of course, they’re still trying to win — and there are legitimate reasons to believe the team can bounce its way back into the playoff conversation — but last season served as a harsh dose of reality. A core that accomplished some impressive feats during a three-year span from 2022-24, including a Presidents’ Trophy and two trips to the Eastern Conference final, had plateaued. Drury acknowledged as much through his actions, purging the roster with 10 trades over a seven-month period from early December to July 1.

Whether the Rangers will be better for it remains to be seen, but they’ve clearly slipped out of the NHL’s top tier. That’s why treating 2025-26 as a championship-or-bust campaign would be a mistake.

The priority for this season should be both to make it back to the postseason and to work toward a sustainable future. Leading scorer Artemi Panarin will turn 34 later this month as he enters the final year of his contract, while J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad are all entering their age-32 seasons. Outside of 27-year-old defenseman Adam Fox and 29-year-old goalie Igor Shesterkin, there are very few proven building blocks with many prime years ahead of them.

A quick fix could come via free agency or trade in 2026, when the Rangers are scheduled to be flush with salary cap space. But that’s a difficult lottery ticket to bank on, especially after one of the biggest potential UFAs, Kirill Kaprizov, inked a record-breaking extension to stay with the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. The Rangers need to fortify from within if they plan to extend their window of contention — and that will require hitting on a higher percentage of draft picks.

At the same time, from a short-term perspective, sending Morrow and forwards Brennan Othmann and Perreault to Hartford should not be viewed as some catastrophe. In many of those instances — and even if the Rangers end up doing the same with forwards Brett Berard and Noah Laba, who remain on the roster for now — it may be the best thing for them.

“The question is always, ‘What’s the path that helps those players become impact players in the most expeditious fashion?’” Sullivan said. “My experience has been, every player is unique. You have to have those discussions on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes it involves playing (in the AHL). Sometimes it involves playing (in the NHL). Most of the time, it’s a combination of the two.”

There have been several examples of the Rangers rushing the process that didn’t turn out well.

They whiffed on back-to-back top-10 picks in Lias Andersson (No. 7 overall in 2017) and Vitali Kravtsov (No. 9 in 2018), significantly setting the sustainability plan back. Andersson was thrust into the NHL before he turned 20 and struggled mightily, while Kravtsov transitioned from Russia to the U.S. at a similar age and clearly wasn’t ready. Both probably wouldn’t have panned out anyway, but the constant starting and stopping surely didn’t help. Former Hartford coach and current Edmonton Oilers bench boss Kris Knoblauch once referred to it as “the yo-yo game,” suggesting that placing players in the NHL too soon and inevitably sending them back down makes it difficult to rebuild their confidence.

It would have been a hard sell at the time, but there’s a valid argument that a couple of even higher draft picks, Kaapo Kakko (No. 2 in 2019) and Alexis Lafrenière (No. 1 in 2020), would have benefited from AHL stints. Instead, they both went directly to the NHL and took years to find their footing. Neither blossomed into the star the organization once hoped for, with Kakko getting shipped to Seattle last year.

The track record beyond those top picks isn’t great, either. None of the 17 combined picks made in 2017 and 2018, including five first-rounders, remain with the organization. And only two — defenseman Matthew Robertson (second round, No. 49) and forward Adam Edström (sixth round, No. 161) — remain from what was supposed to be a foundational 2019 draft.

The 2020 draft has been a notable exception, with Lafrenière, defenseman Braden Schneider (first round, No. 19), forwards Will Cuylle (second round, No. 60), Berard (fifth round, No. 134) and Matt Rempe (sixth round, No. 165) and goalie Dylan Garand (fourth round, No. 103) all either locked into roster spots or likely to make an impact this season. But since Drury took over in 2021, they’ve yet to select another player who’s solidified an NHL role.

There have been some noticeable changes in developmental strategies, though. Hartford was once a wasteland for fading prospects and minor-league veterans, but this regime has made a concerted effort to turn it into a stepping stone for young talent. For the last few years, the Wolf Pack roster has been littered with recent draft picks and legitimate prospects.

Cuylle is their biggest recent success story. He spent his first full season in the AHL, then hit the ground running as an NHL rookie in 2023-24. The key is replicating that formula to produce the next wave of Rangers.

Perreault and particularly Laba had their moments this preseason, but it’s important to remember that most of those exhibitions came against fragmented lineups that were missing major pieces. They weren’t nearly as effective in Thursday’s 3-1 loss to a much more complete New Jersey Devils team. Both were in college at this time last year and didn’t turn pro until March, so a little time to adapt and grow in Hartford seems like a logical springboard.

Berard, Othmann and Morrow are further along in their development, combining for 250 career AHL games to this point. Berard remains in camp and has an outside shot to make the team, but both Othmann and Morrow have specific areas to improve if they’re going to earn Sullivan’s trust, mainly on the defensive side.

If it’s been determined they need more seasoning, now is the time to do it. All five of those prospects are still on their entry-level contracts, allowing them to pass freely between the AHL and NHL without requiring waivers.

“We can just throw guys in the lineup and say, ‘Figure it out,’” Sullivan said. “Or we can try to be a little bit more calculated and more proactive in trying to influence that development process so that player progresses in an optimal way.”

In the meantime, it’s reasonable for Drury to protect his depth by holding onto veterans such as Jonny Brodzinski, Conor Sheary and Urho Vaakanainen, who would have to be waived or outright released in order to be sent to the minors. Even younger players such as Juuso Pärssinen, Matt Rempe and Matthew Robertson would be exposed to waivers before being cleared for an AHL assignment, allowing any team to claim them. The chances may be slim in most cases, but why risk it at this early juncture?

Injuries will inevitably strike, at which point whichever prospect is playing best and fits the positional need can be recalled. And if some of the aforementioned veterans stay healthy but still aren’t getting the job done, a switch can be made as well.

So while there was surely disappointment after Othmann, Perreault and Morrow were cut, with Berard and/or Laba possibly up next, the message is to use their AHL time constructively and stay ready. The hope is they’ll be better for it in the long run.

On the other hand, the Rangers can’t afford to wait too long. It’s one thing for these prospects to miss out on opening night, but most should get looks sooner than later. Debuting in November or December would still provide plenty of runway to make an impression and gain valuable experience, but it would be short-sighted if Drury and Sullivan let the season go by without finding out what they have.

The future depends on it.

“It’s a big responsibility,” Sullivan said. “We’re entrusted to help these young players become the best versions of themselves, so ultimately, they can maximize their careers and help the Rangers win. That’s the goal.”

(Photo of Gabe Perreault: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)