An update on Pekka Rinne is expected on Tuesday. (Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports)

When is goalie Pekka Rinne returning? Not soon enough, if you are a Nashville Predators fan.

Rinne is still making his case for being the league’s MVP in absentia. Since he went down with injury on Jan. 13, the Predators are 2-2-2. More important, the Predators have given up 19 goals in regulation in those six games. That’s a goal-against average of better than three goals per game.

When Rinne went down, he owned a 1.96 goals-against average. He has a .931 save percentage and backup Carter Hutton is at .893.

POWER RANKINGS: Latest vote

It’s hardly news that goaltending is crucial to a team, but Rinne’s importance in Nashville might exceed the norm. The Predators’ confidence seems to be nourished by his presence.

The team announced Jan. 15 that he would be out three to five weeks with his knee injury, and he appears to be progressing on or ahead of schedule.

“We haven’t changed the timetable,” Predators general manager David Poile told USA TODAY Sports. “He is with the team and he is practicing, but I wouldn’t say at 100 percent. ”

The problem is that the Predators’ practice schedule isn’t conducive to expediting his return. The Predators played Thursday, Friday, and have Saturday off and then play Sunday afternoon. They play again Tuesday. That would be three weeks from the injury date.

“Everything he is doing is almost by himself now,” Poile said. “I think we will have an update next Tuesday, and I think he will be fairly close at that time.”

Your games tonight

Washington at Montreal, 1, NHL Network

New York Islanders at Detroit, 2

Arizona at Ottawa, 3

Dallas at Winnipeg, 7

Florida at New Jersey, 7

Carolina at New York Rangers, 7

Toronto at Philadelphia, 7

Los Angeles at Boston, 7, NHL Network

Columbus at Tampa Bay, 7:30

Edmonton at Calgary, 10

Chicago at San Jose, 10:30

 Follow the rest of USA TODAY Sports’ in-depth NHL coverage at nhl.usatoday.com.