With another round of Elite League action in the record books, we’re another week closer to knowing which teams are contenders and pretenders in the fight for domestic silverware.
The Guildford Flames and Belfast Giants were perfect in Round 25, with Eamon McAdam and Jackson Whistle starring between the pipes, while the Cardiff Devils and Manchester Storm endured weekends to forget.
This is Stock Up, Stock Down — the weekly column dedicated to tracking trends in the Elite League.
Stock Down – Josh MacDonald (and the Cardiff Devils)
Since winning the Continental Cup, the Cardiff Devils have tail-spun their way out of title contention.
Pete Russell’s squad have won just three of their last ten games, falling to fourth in the standings and fifteen points behind the league-leading Giants.
It’s bleak. And Russell made his frustrations known after Cardiff’s 6-0 loss to Belfast on Saturday.
Ben Bowns, Cardiff Devils (Image: William Cherry)
“It’s not good enough — four-hundred people paid to watch us here [in Belfast] and I wouldn’t want to pay to watch that,” said the 50-year-old.
“Belfast are a fantastic team and what makes them great is their work ethic and commitment, but we didn’t match that. We had no desperation in the right situations and we couldn’t make a pass. I don’t know what was going on out there.”
Injuries have played a major role in Cardiff’s downfall, with Ben Davies, Riley Brandt, and Hunter Shinkaruk all missing time in 2025.
But it’s also impossible to overlook Josh MacDonald’s sharp offensive drop-off.
The Canadian, who led the Elite League in goals and assists just a few short weeks ago, is in a hole.
| Goals | Assists | +/- | Time on Ice | |
| BEL 6-0 CAR | 0 | 0 | -3 | 16:37 |
| BEL 4-1 CAR | 0 | 0 | -3 | 17:22 |
| FIF 2-6 CAR | 0 | 3 | 2 | 19:14 |
| CAR 3-5 MAN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:35 |
| CAR 4-1 SHE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18:36 |
| CAR 3-5 COV | 0 | 0 | -3 | 20:52 |
| SHE 5-3 CAR | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:29 |
That’s four points (one goal, three assists) and a minus-five rating through seven appearances.
The Devils desperately need MacDonald to rediscover his scoring touch.
Stock Up – Eamon McAdam (and the Guildford Flames)
Eamon McAdam was superb in Round 25 — just look at his stats:
| Shots Faced | Saves | Save Percentage | |
| GUI 3-2 SHE (SO) | 42 | 40 | .952 |
| DUN 2-6 GUI | 38 | 36 | .947 |
| NOT 2-4 GUI | 39 | 37 | .949 |
The American’s triple-win week lifted his record on the season to 10-15-1 in all competitions, improving his save percentage to .905 and lifting Guildford above the Coventry Blaze in the fight for fifth place.
McAdam has endured an up-and-down season, but has been sensational this month and has a key role to play as the Flames reprise their usual role as playoff dark horses.
The American’s triple-win week lifted his record on the season to 10-15-1 in all competitions, improving his save percentage to .905 and lifting Guildford above the Coventry Blaze in the fight for fifth place.
Eamon McAdam, Guildford Flames (Image: John Uwins)
McAdam has endured an up-and-down season, but has been sensational this month and has a key role to play as the Flames reprise their usual role as playoff dark horses.
Stock Down – Title Race Intrigue
It was a bad week for title race drama.
With the Sheffield Steelers dropping a point in their shootout loss to the Flames, the Giants are now five points clear at the top of the table and firing on all cylinders.
The third-place Nottingham Panthers trail Belfast by eight points, while the fourth-place Devils are almost entirely out of the picture an extra seven points back.
Belfast’s 13 remaining fixtures include three games on home ice against the Fife Flyers and a pair of contests against the Manchester Storm.
The Giants face Nottingham back-t0-back to finish the season, with a home date against Cardiff scheduled for 21 March.
It’s Belfast’s title to lose.
Stock Up – Chase Gresock
Finally, a word on Blaze talisman Chase Gresock.
The American is now the league’s leader in goals (25) and points (48), with consistent performances fuelling his success.
Gresock has seven points (five goals, two assists) in his last two games, a split that saw Coventry slip to a 2-3-0 record and lose ground in the race for fifth.
The 26-year-old is an all-round threat – re-signing him must be a priority for Blaze head coach Kevin Moore.
READ MORE:
- Elite League Team of the Week: Guildford Flames star in Round 25
- Guildford Flames sign Zack Hoffman to bolster injury-hit blueline
- Stock Up, Stock Down – NHL: 4 Nations Face-Off Edition
- Reaction — Nottingham Panthers sign netminder Jere Huhtamaa
- Analysis — Cardiff Devils sign powerplay specialist Ben Almquist
