PITTSBURGH (AP) - The cash-strapped Pittsburgh Penguins signed largely unproven goaltender Sebastien Caron on Friday to a four-year deal worth a guaranteed $3.2 million.

Caron, 23, made the NHL all-rookie team last season with a 7-14-2 record and 2.64 goals-against average in 24 appearances, even though the Penguins finished with the league's second-worst record.

The deal runs through the 2006-07 season and offers one of the longest contracts in the league to a player who had no NHL experience before being called up in January.

The Penguins also made the move despite making goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury the No. 1 pick in the June draft. The Penguins have not ruled out Fleury making the team this season.

The signing would seem to signal the Penguins have no plans to bring back Johan Hedberg, their primary starter since the 2000-01 season, after this season. Hedberg is in the final year of his contract.

Caron started 23 of the Penguins' final 38 games last season.

Caron's contract will pay him $650,000, $750,000, $850,000 and $950,000 the next four seasons. He had a two-way contract last season that would have been worth $625,000 if he played the entire season with Pittsburgh, but paid him much less while in the minors.

The Penguins also signed goaltender Martin Brochu, who has spent most of his career in the AHL. He played six games with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2001-02 season.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-22-03 1321EDT