Devils, Rangers & Islanders Face Early Tests in 2024-25 Schedule

Can the New York Rangers repeat as President's Trophy Champs, and finally break through to the Stanley Cup? Can the Devils and Islanders have better seasons this year? Well, we now know the path all three teams will make next season. The 2024-25 NHL schedule has been released.

While it doesn't carry the kind of wall-to-wall coverage that the NFL schedule release does, hockey fans can now start start plotting those trips, and season ticket packages.

DEVILS SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
The Devils will drop the puck first on the 2024-25 season when they take on the Buffalo Sabers in Prague, October 4 and 5.

New Jersey will return home on October 10 to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the home opener. The Devils will also see the recently moved Arizona Coyotes -- now known as the Utah Hockey Club at the Prudential Center on October 14.

Utah is basically an expansion team that will have a name and mascot likely in a year from now. Arizona is now defunct with the possibility of rejoining the league as an expansion team. Think the Cleveland Browns when they left Cleveland for Baltimore in 1996.

The Devils get their first crack at the Islanders on October 25 at Prudential Center. They will face the Rangers for the first time next season on December 2 at Madison Square Garden.

RANGERS SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

The reigning Metro Division Champs will begin their season on October 9 against an old foe, the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Steel City. The Rangers return to the Garden for the home opener against the Utah Hockey Club on October 12.

The Rangers first game with the Islanders will be November 3 at the Garden. The Blue Shirts will host the Devils on December 2, and visit the Prudential Center a couple days before Christmas on December 23.

A rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers is set for October 24 at MSG. The Rangers head to South Florida on December 30.

The Rangers will see the Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers on November 23 in Alberta, Canada. The Oilers come to the Garden March 16.

The season ends April 17 at MSG against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

ISLANDERS SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
The New York Islanders will enter the 2024-25 season looking to improve upon a strong finish to last season. With Patrick Roy inserted full time as head coach, expectations will be higher.

The Isles open the season October 10 at the USB Arena against the expansion Utah Hockey Club.

That will be followed up by a three-game mid-west trip to Dallas on October 12, Colorado on October 14, and St. Louis on October 17.

The Isles face the Devils at USB Arena on November 9, and host the Rangers on the Island on February 25.

A playoff-series rematch with the Carolina Hurricanes is set for December 7 at USB Arena, and December 17 down in Charlotte.

The season ends April 17 at Columbus.

MORE RANGERS

If you have some money wasting away in a savings account that doesn't have interest, then you might want to consider making your money grow with low-risk investments. Financial experts say that certain low-risk investments can really help pad your savings.

Before we get into the best low-risk investments, let's look at what exactly is a low-risk investment. The official definition is basically what you would expect from the definition of a low-risk investment. According to the financial experts at Capital.com, it's "an investment where there is perceived to be just a slight chance of losing some or all of your money. Low risk investments offer you a security blanket as they’re not likely to suddenly drop in value."

In contrast, according to Investopedia.com, "A high-risk investment is one for which there is either a large percentage chance of loss of capital or under-performance—or a relatively high chance of a devastating loss." They add that, "The first of these is intuitive, if subjective: If you were told there’s a 50/50 chance that your investment will earn your expected return, you may find that quite risky." So, for example, a 50/50 risk might not seem risky to some, but it might seem risky to others. An investment with a 99% risk will obviously seem risky to everyone. But, with high-risk investments come big payouts, so that's what lures people in. For example, a separate article from Investopedia.com states that some high-risk investments can double your money. That's obviously a much bigger return than you would see in your average investment. As they state, "Make no mistake, there is no guaranteed way to double your money with any investment. But there are plenty of examples of investments that doubled or more in a short period of time."

So, if you're interested in making a ton of money, or losing it all, high-risk investments such as investing in foreign emerging markets may be of interest to you. "A country experiencing a growing economy can be an ideal investment opportunity," experts at Investopedia.com state. "Investors can buy government bonds, stocks, or sectors with that country experiencing hyper-growth or ETFs that represent a growing sector of stocks." They add "spurts in economic growth in countries are rare events that, though risky, can provide investors with a slew of brand new companies to invest in to bolster personal portfolios."

Now, let's move onto some low-risk investments for those who don't want to risk losing their money. Of course, talk to your financial advisor before making any of these moves.

You've probably heard of CDs being low-risk investments. Fidelity.com explains that "CDs provide reliable, fixed-rate returns on a lump sum of money over a fixed period of time, such as six months, one year, or five years." They add that the great thing is that if you "get a traditional CD at a bank or credit union where they are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the National Credit Union Association (NCUA)." Usually, CDs have a minimum deposit, and you’ll have to pay a penalty if you take your money out too soon.

High-yield savings accounts are like your regular savings account, but they earn more interest. "You can use these accounts for long-term savings goals or to hold extra money from your checking account," CreditKarma.com states. "For example, if you want to start saving for a house or building up an emergency fund, this could be a great option."

Forbes.com says that right now, the risk level for U.S. treasury bills, notes and bonds is "very low." They add that, "U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Historically, the U.S. has always paid its debts, which helps to ensure that Treasurys are the lowest-risk investments you can own."

Fidelity.com states that, "Money market funds are mutual funds that invest in short-term, low-risk assets like Treasury and government securities, commercial paper, or municipal debt—depending on the focus of the fund." They add that, "Because their underlying investments are typically high quality, they are generally less volatile than other types of mutual funds, such as stock funds."

Fixed annuities are a pretty safe bet. As Forbes.com explains, "Fixed annuities are a popular type of annuity contract that are frequently used for retirement planning, but can also be useful for medium-term financial goals." They add that, "Sold by insurance companies and financial services companies, a fixed annuity guarantees a fixed rate of return over a set period of time, regardless of market conditions."

People talk about stepping outside of their comfort zone in life, but really, investing isn't a place to do this. You know how much money you have to "play" with, so if you're worried about putting too much money in the market, these low-risk investments could still help you make money on your money.