After reaching the quarter-finals for the second consecutive year, the Nice Eagles are already preparing for next season. Let’s review the initial moves of this transfer window.
After successfully achieving their objectives this season, it’s already time to prepare for the next Ligue Magnus campaign. Eighth in the regular season before being eliminated in the playoffs by Grenoble (the 2024/2025 Ligue Magnus champions), the Nice club was very active in the transfer market last year. The club recorded 19 departures and 18 arrivals. The aim was to rejuvenate the squad and build a competitive team for the long-term, with a view towards 2030.
There are still a few years before aiming to reach the top of the Ligue Magnus. But the work starts now at the club. To date, the Nice Eagles have announced the departure of eight players who are no longer part of this project. The first to leave the group is goalkeeper Raphaël Garnier. Having arrived from Grenoble last season, the international goalkeeper had little opportunity to shine with the Eagles. Kept off the field most of the season by Conrad Molder, he participated in only 18 games. This is a disappointment for the 28-year-old hockey player who is expected to find a new club quickly.
Another departure on defense is Joona Tamminen. The 24-year-old Finn joined the Eagles mid-season after playing in Poland. This reinforcement will not be kept after only playing nine matches on the French Riviera. The same goes for Sébastien Miedema. The Swede experienced a similar situation with the same number of games played after arriving mid-season. Maxime Corvez, however, had a different path. Arriving last summer from Chambéry, the defender played 34 matches with Nice. He fell off the radar at the end of January when the coaching staff changed, and Pascal Margerit replaced Frantisek Stolc, leading to the player’s departure from the club.
Finally, another defender is leaving the club. This is Harijs Brants. The Latvian also only played one season with 29 matches in Nice. This is a surprising departure as the 22-year-old had just arrived last season and could have logically been part of the team for a longer period.
A revamped offensive line
On the attackers’ side, three departures have already been confirmed. The first is none other than Czech Filip Dvorak. Not part of the group at the end of the season, the 28-year-old hockey player only spent one season with the Nice Eagles. He scored five goals and provided nine assists in 37 matches.
Joseph Broutin, who was discovering the professional world, only played one season before leaving the club. With eight assists and three goals in 41 matches, the adventure ends here for the young Frenchman. Finally, the most recent departure is that of Marek Sloboda. The 27-year-old Slovenian played the entire season with Nice, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists.
It is now up to the management to consider potential recruitment opportunities to continue the project. No doubt we will know more in the coming days.