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As the Theo Fleury haze starts to clear around the Chicago Blackhawks, it's interesting to note that a franchise wrapped in inner turmoil for years is now finally looking like a team with a plan.

That's right, the Blackhawks have seemingly put the minds of vice president Bob Pulford, GM Mike Smith and coach Brian Sutter all into the same bag. Management appears to be working well with the coaches and you can see the foundation of a good team falling into place.

To end a very disappointing season, Smith jettisoned some valuable veterans. He stayed out of the free agent market and he has given Sutter a team full of young forwards who should be able to grow together over the next few years. What's more, Pulford and owner Bill Wirtz even came up big in a tough negotiation with promising rookie Tuomo Ruutu and unlocked the money to sign the kid rather than leave him in Europe. That alone should signal to fans and players that things are changing.

PROJECTED CONFERENCE FINISH. . . 10th

STRENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Blackhawks have brought in good kids for years and now they have a corral of solid young forwards who can skate, hit and score. Eric Daze, Kyle Calder, Mark Bell, Tyler Arnason, Pavel Vorobiev and promising Finnish rookie Tuomo Ruutu paint a promising future. WEAKNESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Outside of captain Alexei Zhamnov, this team really doesn't have a lot of veteran leaders at forward. Keeping Andrei Nikolishin or Mike Eastwood could have been helpful. Reacquiring free agent Steve Thomas wouldn't be a bad move, either. BEST OFFSEASON MOVE . . . . . . . . . . . Getting Ville Nieminen out of Pittsburgh. Once a promising young forward in Colorado, Niemminen had lost his way since being traded to the Penguins in March of 2002. However, at age 26, he is hungry to prove he belongs and he is the perfect sidekick for Ruutu. WORST OFFSEASON MOVE . . . . . . . . . It would have been worth it to pay Theo Fleury a bunch of money to just go away. As it is now, he is suspended as a part of the league's substance abuse prevention rule and is still property of the Blackhawks. He's eligible to apply for reinstatement on Oct. 11. When he does, it'll just be another distraction. PLAYER TO WATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuomo Ruutu. Many insiders believe Ruutu will make a serious run for the Calder Trophy. He is the rare European forward who can not only score, but likes to hit and doesn't mind a little pushing and shoving. FANTASY FIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Igor Radulov. Nobody expects Radulov to score 30 goals as a rookie, but hopes get elevated when a guy scores five goals in his first seven preseason games for a team as starved for offense as the Blackhawks. Three of Radulov's goals came on the power play, suggesting he can supplement his fantasy value by playing key minutes with the man advantage. -- Graham Hays AT A GLANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003-04: Schedule | Roster 2002-03: Schedule/Results | Stats

However, there is one caveat. Though Fleury is suspended, he still remains the property of this team and is their responsibility once he gets clearance from the NHL's substance abuse aftercare program and decides to apply for reinstatement. The Blackhawks don't have to pay any part of his $4.5 salary until he is cleared to return. The problem is that nobody really knows when Fleury is supposed to be cleared and there is some debate as to when he actually started the latest phase of the program. In those coals of confusion lie the smoldering embers of a potential situation, one that could begin to involve the players association and the league.

Bottom line, the Blackhawks need to have this situation taken care of. Fleury is a smart guy. He knows he can't go back to Chicago, it just didn't work there. Everyone in management has privately acknowledged that the Jan. 19 incident, in which he, veteran Phil Housley and rookie Tyler Arnason were involved in an altercation at an Ohio strip club, caused a rift that helped split the team last season. That's one of the reasons Housley was let go.

So work things out with Fleury ahead of time -- either through an agreed buyout or a trading of his rights -- and keep what is in the past in the past.

This team has the ability to make some giant strides this season. Don't throw any sticks underneath its training wheels.

This is the team's strength, or at least its yet-to-be-developed strength. Chicago has stockpiled a tremendous core of young forwards and it is going to let as many play as can make the team.

Ruutu is the player everyone wants to watch. He has tremendous skill, but he also a physical style and an aggressive manner. He loves to chirp and get into other's player's faces. In short, he's perfect for the town of Chicago. Expect great things there.

The rest of the group is a little less predictable, but they have potential. Arnason was inconsistent last season, but showed flashes of brilliance. At age 24, he should be able to make quicker strides in his development. He'll join a core of solid young players who now have a year or two of experience. Kyle Calder and Mark Bell continue to improve and fit right in with 20-somethings Ville Niemminen, Jason Strudwick and Scott Nichol.

The top trio continues to be Alexei Zhamnov, Eric Daze and Steve Sullivan. The contract for each player is up at the end of the season, so take that into consideration when weighing what they might accomplish (like big improvements in production). At the very least, they will be asked to shepherd players such as Ruutu, Igor Radulov, Mikhail Yakubov and Pavel Vorobiev.

You have to admit, it's a pretty non-descript group. Jon Klemm is a solid veteran and he should see an improvement in his play this season. And the addition of Deron Quint (Phoenix) gives the group a little more depth and veteran savvy.

But core players Steve Poapst, Alexander Karpovtsev, Steve McCarthy and Nathan Dempsey do little to get the heart going. What's more, none of them has the experience to be a respected point man on a No. 1 power-play unit. That responsibility will probably fall to Zhamnov, who carried the mail last year on a power play that finished 28th in the league. Let's just say it's a concern.

While this group should play well defensively in Sutter's system, you have to wonder who is going to get the puck to the young forwards so that they can start to develop their skills?

The Hawks are happy with Jocelyn Thibault, and why shouldn't they be? The 28-year-old backstop posted a 26-28-7 record with a 2.37 GAA and a .915 save percentage under the toughest of circumstances last season.

He is a quick, talented goalie who overcomes his lack of size with smart play. What's more, he's confident after stringing together two very solid seasons (33-23-9 in 2001-02). There is no more controversy in nets. This is Thibault's team. In fact, he might be the most significant leader the Blackhawks have right now.

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com.