LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Trying to divine the NHL Draft is not for the faint of heart. I should know. I've been doing this exercise for seven long years.

It all started with the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas, as I typed frantically through sweltering heat, biding my time ahead of the annual media dinner put on by Gary Bettman and the NHL, a just reward for a year's worth of hard work. And this one comes from Vegas amid a heat wave that would put that draft to shame.

I've gotten a few things right over the years. The run on defenders through the top-10 of the 2019 draft comes to mind – with the Colorado Avalanche taking Bowen Byram and the Edmonton Oilers taking Philip Broberg. I also tagged Arthur Kaliyev falling out of the first round. Hell, just last year, I said Zach Benson would drop like a stone.

Still, the vast majority of my predictions have not come to pass. And that’s by design. These are bold predictions. They’re meant to elicit some shock and awe if they come to fruition. As prophetic as I pretend to be, Nostradamus, I am not.

But we fight on.

This year, we’re going to add a little extra spice to the mix. Not only will you be provided with my bold predictions, but you’ll also be treated to five additional ones courtesy of my industry sources, which include NHL GMs, executives, and scouts.

As always, the potential for some intriguing action is in place, we just need the Gods of Chaos to smile upon us.