David Clarkson out 4-6 weeks

Here’s a surprise: The New Jersey Devils have lost another player to injury.

Forward David Clarkson, who was having his most productive start in his three NHL seasons with 7 goals, 3 power-play goals, 15 points and a plus-1 rating in 22 games, will be sidelined 4-6 weeks with a non-displaced fracture of his lower right leg sustained Friday afternoon in Boston.

Clarkson, who had to crawl back to the players’ bench after getting popped in the ankle, will join the laundry list of Devils players on the shelf, including forwards Jay Pandolfo (dislocated right shoulder), Rob Niedermayer (upper body) and Dainius Zubrus (fractured right kneecap) and defensemen Paul Martin (broken arm) and Johnny Oduya (lower body). There’s a good chance Niedermayer and Oduya could return from their ailments at some point next week.

Devils coach Jacques Lemaire, whose team has won five straight on home ice, confirmed the injury Saturday morning before New Jersey played the Islanders.

Clarkson was injured 2:08 into the game on his initial shift after going down to block a shot by defenseman Zdeno Chara, who established a new standard in the Cisco Hardest Shot competition at last season’s Honda NHL SuperSkills event with a blast of 105.4-mph.

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That’s what happens when you block a Zdeno Chara slapshot. I feel bad for him and the Devils, these injuries are getting too much.

Clarkson is one of the more underrated players in the game.