COLUMBUS, Ohio — And so David Clarkson embarks on yet another return.

It’s become a familiar storyline for the veteran winger in the two-plus years since he signed a life-changing contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who just happen to be in town as he makes his season debut for the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.

Clarkson’s latest ailment was a groin and back tweak that forced him to sit out four Blue Jackets losses to start the year.

There’s been a star-crossed quality to his career since landing a seven-year, $36.75-million deal in July 2013 — starting with a 10-game suspension for jumping off the bench in exhibition play, and including a string of injuries that forced him to miss more than a quarter of the games since.

“I’m not someone that was injured very often [early] in my career in New Jersey,” Clarkson said after Friday’s morning skate at Nationwide Arena. “In Toronto there, with breaking my elbow and my face and all of the injuries I had — the suspension, I guess — it was tough. I’ve never been through that in my career.

“You kind of try to put it under the rug but it always comes up, or something’s always there. This has probably been the hardest two years I’ve been through.”

Clarkson was traded to the Blue Jackets in exchange for injured forward Nathan Horton on Feb. 26. It was essentially a salary cap transaction, with Toronto getting his massive deal off the books while Columbus shed the huge financial commitment it was on the hook to pay Horton not to play because of an uninsured contract.

The fresh start was welcomed by the 31-year-old Clarkson, but he only managed to play three games for the Jackets before having his season ended by an oblique tear. It’s been a long wait for game No. 4.

He’s due to start on the fourth line with Gregory Campbell and Matt Calvert, and coach Todd Richards expects to see a gritty game from him.

“[I want him to] play with some energy, play a rugged style … go to the net hard — battle, compete there — and be a good, sound defender for us,” said Richards.

The Jackets could use an injection of energy after failing to register a win so far this season. There’s a pall hanging over the dressing room, with captain Nick Foligno saying the players are “embarrassed” by their start.

Clarkson is a former 30-goal scorer who doesn’t shy away from the physical aspects of the game, which is why many questioned his huge contract the day it was signed. It was always going to be difficult for his body to continue handling the wear and tear over seven years, and he accounts for a fairly significant cap hit.

Hours before his latest return, he indicated that he feels “pretty good” physically.

“You want to be a part of it when the team’s struggling a little bit — I think that pushes you a little more,” said Clarkson. “I think we’ve got something special in here. [President John] Davidson and [GM] Jarmo [Kekalainen] have built something pretty special in here and now it’s up to us to go out there and play the game we know we can.”

Clarkson remains in touch with a couple former Toronto teammates and speaks glowingly about new GM Lou Lamoriello, who gave him a big break as an undrafted free agent signing in with the New Jersey Devils.

Had he arrived in Toronto before there was a salary cap he likely would have been embraced more. Instead, he was constantly reminded of his underperformance while registering just 15 goals and 26 points in 121 games over the first two seasons of the deal — a pace that saw him earn $616,666.67 per goal, $355,769.23 per point and $76,446.28 per game played.

Still, after everything, the Toronto native doesn’t wonder what might have been if he chose to sign elsewhere when he was a hotly-pursued free agent two summers ago.

“I got to wear a jersey that I dreamed of [wearing] as a little boy and for me that’s pretty cool,” said Clarkson. “Right now I’m wearing my Jays hat every day to the rink to bug some of these guys, but no, I don’t regret anything.”