Max Pacioretty

 Interesting move.

First-round draft choices Mike Komisarek and Christopher Higgins each played two years of college hockey, at Michigan and Yale, respectively.

Ryan O'Byrne played three seasons at Cornell, James T. Wyman four at Dartmouth.

First-rounder David Fischer is going back to Minnesota for his third season.

Leaving players in school gives them another year to develop – at no expense to the club. And it delays free agency.

Max Pacioretty has been signed after his freshman year at Michigan.

Bob Gainey and Trevor Timmins must LOVE this kid.

Max Pacioretty wowed the crowd at Canadiens' development camp on Friday.

The  big forward scored twice on nifty backhands during the 3-on-3 scrimmages.

On the first goal, Pacioretty drove the net and was slammed after scoring by Andrew Conboy, who was chosen 120 picks after Pacioretty in the 2007 draft. Conboy is a 6'4" bruiser who managed to rack up 188 minutes in penalties playing in the relatively tranquil – by Canadian major-junior standards – USHL.

Conboy will be a freshman at Michigan State this fall. If Pacioretty returns to Michigan – which he probably will – they'll be seeing more of each other.

As Pat Hickey writes in The Gazette today, Trevor Timmins describes Pacioretty as "head and shoulders" above the other prospects at camp.

Take this to the bank, people: Max Pacioretty will be with the big club when the 2009-'10 season begins. And he's going to  be a good one.

 In his Gazette column, Pat Hickey writes that Max Pacioretty is getting very close to turning pro.

Marc-Antoine Godin of La Presse concurs.

Also in La Presse, François Gagnon writes the Canadiens probably will play at home on Dec. 23 – a likelihood that may help them snap a winless streak on that date that goes back to 1979.

• Gary Bettman has ordered Brian Burke and Kevin Lowe to cease and desist from publicly urinating on each other. Darn! It was just getting to be fun.

• Todd Bertuzzi credits (or should it be blames?) Jarome Iginla with luring him to Calgary.

• Old Habs never die ... nor, evidently, do they fade away. Mark Recchi to Tampa Bay: one year, $1.25 million

The Canadiens' most recent first-round draft choices looked impressive on the ice at development camp and sounded impressive when today's opening session concluded.

They're all at midwestern universities: Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty were freshmen last season at Wisconsin and Michgan, respectively. Fisher is heading into his junior season at Minnesota.

Like Mike Komisarek and Christopher Higgins,  the young Americans are bright and well-spoken.