I wouldn't say so. Ovi, Carlson, and Wilson are still here but all the other major players from that team -- Backstrom, Kuzy, Oshie, Orlov, Niskanen, Holtby, Beagle -- are long gone. The 2018 team definitely had more of a "last chance" vibe whereas this team is playing with all house money.
I'd say the vibe is the same, the boys are still all about fun, Ovi is a goofball and his locker rooms have almost always been that way from what media coverage has allowed us fans to see...but the impending feeling of doom (or choking) has washed away since Ovi got his cup. This current team is having fun like the old teams did but they don't get down when things don't go their way.
There was immense pressure on the team to win a Cup in the 2010s before their core aged out. That was felt by the players, the coaches, management, ownership, and fans right up until the team won in late June 2018 in Vegas. It was a tremendous release valve.
From what I've heard (which is all just from chatting with people who were around the 2018 team at STH events, so take it for what it's worth), the 2018 vibe actually was that they were playing with house money. People had written them off so most of the pressure was gone. One person told me they made a decent chunk of money betting on them that postseason purely off of the vibes in the locker room. I'd love to get a chance to talk to them again to see how they think this year's team compares to 2018.
