NHL

FUTURE UNCLEAR FOR DEVILS’ WHITE IN WAKE OF EYE INJURY

ATLANTA – Colin White’s vision is still blurry, nearly a month after a self-deflected puck hit his right eye. The Devils defenseman told The Post yesterday he’s not even thinking about playing hockey yet. He’s concentrating on getting his vision back, still uncertain whether surgery may be required.

“Every week I’m being checked out. It’s just going to be a slow process. We’re taking our time with it to make sure everything’s right,” White said yesterday from New Jersey.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was injured Sept. 19 when he used his stick to block a shot in practice and the puck deflected into his eye. Although the team has offered no prognosis, it seems unlikely he’ll play before Thanksgiving, even if everything proceeds well, and Christmas might be a more realistic, happy return.

“It’s going in the right direction, and that’s the important thing,” White said. “I know it’s going to take time. I can’t rush it.

“I can see, but it’s blurred. I’m waiting for [clear vision]. There is no timetable with an eye. It’s not something that’s written in a book.”

White, 29, is the Devils’ top stay-at-home defenseman, plus-60 in 465 career games, all with New Jersey. His absence has left an additional hole on the Devils’ backline, already suffering from the free-agent losses of Brian Rafalski and Brad Lukowich.

Without White, the Devils’ defensive struggles have been evident in their 1-3 start, their worst since 2001-02. They visit the winless Thrashers here tonight, hoping to avoid giving a third team (after Tampa Bay and Florida) its first victory of the season.

White said he isn’t thinking about how long it will take him to get back into action once his eye is healthy.

“I’m not looking at that right now. I’m training . . . but I’m not focusing on hockey. I’m focusing on getting my eye better,” he said.

White suffered a broken nose, and his eye was swollen shut for more than a week. So far, no eye surgery is required.

“They haven’t told me any specifics. Obviously, there was trauma to the eye,” White said when asked if there was any retinal damage.

The Devils need White, and badly, but for now, it’s the restoration of his sight that is most important to everyone.

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After tonight, the Devils will be off until they visit Pittsburgh on Wednesday and Philadelphia on Thursday. . . . Individual game tickets for Newark are on sale at Ticketmaster. . . . Martin Brodeur, who set the NHL record with 48 victories last season, remains winless this year at 0-3 after the Devils were blanked 3-0 in Florida on Thursday. Kevin Weekes owns the Devils’ lone triumph this season. . . . The Devils are winless here since the lockout, 0-2-2 the past two seasons. . . . Brent Sutter, who was ill, missed practice yesterday.

mark.everson@nypost.com