some players get abused against tough competition, some don't.
Here's the top 10 toughest competition dmen the last 2yrs, and their offensive and possession stats at even strength:
1.Vlasic: .94p/60, .58p1/60, 49.2cf% (-3.3rel), 51.6xgf% (-1.1rel) ------ linemates' cf%: 50.8%
2.Braun: .80p/60, .48p1/60, 47.4cf% (-6.0rel), 50.7xgf% (-2.7rel) ---- linemates' cf%: 54.0%
3.Rielly: .97p/60, .75p1/60, 51.3cf% (+1.0rel), 50.3xgf% (-0.9rel) ----- linemates cf%: 49.7%
4.Keith: .91p/60, .34p1/60, 50.8cf% (-0.8rel), 47.6xgf% (-2.8rel) ------ linemates cf%: 51.5%
5.Letang: 1.0p/60, .37p1/60, 54.3cf% (+4.3rel), 54.3xgf% (+2.1rel) --- linemates cf%: 49.9%
6.Giordano: .92p/60, .52p1/60, 55.3cf% (+5.4rel), 54.5xgf% (+6.2rel) - linemates cf%: 50.9%
7.Dumoulin: .59p/60, .38p1/60, 52.2cf% (+1.8rel), 51.9xgf% (-0.5rel) - linemates cf%: 50.7%
8.Hainsey: .62p/60, .40p1/60, 48.8cf% (-2.3rel), 50.9xgf% (+0.2rel) --- linemates cf%: 50.7%
9.Chara: .92p/60, .59p1/60, 53.5cf% (-1.2rel), 53.9xgf% (-0.3rel) ------ linemates cf%: 54.5%
10.Slavin: .97p/60, .60p1/60, 53.7cf% (+2.4rel), 55.2xgf% (+5.1rel) --- linemates cf%: 51.4%
So not only is Rielly the best offensive producer of the bunch, but he's also either 4th or 5th best possesion wise despite having the weakest teammate support. So yeah, that sure seems like the opposite of being abused. "thriving' would be a more apt descriptor, I think.
You can see that some unsurprising guys do get abused in this usage - like Hainsey and Braun, both of whom are solid dmen, but should never be getting elite usage like this.
and then we can look just at last year:
1.Vlasic: .95p/60, .49p1/60, 49.0cf% (-3.0rel), 51.2xgf% (-1.2rel) ---- linemates cf%: 50.3%
2.Braun: 1.18p/60, .74p1/60, 46.7cf% (-7.0rel), 49.2xgf% (-5.2rel) -- linemates cf%: 54.1%
3.Hainsy: .70p/60, .39p1/60, 48.4cf% (-3.1rel), 49.5xgf% (-2.2rel) -- linemates cf%: 52.0%
4.Schmidt: .85p/60, .53p1/60, 51.0cf% (-0.9rel), 50.1xgf% (-2.4rel) - linemates cf%: 51.1%
5.Yandle: 1.22p/60, .69p1/60, 48.7cf% (-1.3rel), 47.7xgf% (-2.3rel) -- linemates cf%: 51.0%
6.Doughty: 1.01p/60, .61p1/60, 53.0cf% (+4.9rel), 51.2xgf% (+5.3rel) - linemates cf%: 48.7%
7.Rielly: 1.04p/60, .82p1/60, 51.5cf% (+1.8rel), 50.5xgf% (-0.5rel) --- linemates cf%: 49.0%
8.Ekblad: .93p/60, .56p1/60, 48.6cf% (-1.4rel), 47.1xgf% (-3.3rel) ---- linemates cf%: 51.6%
9.Daley: .56p/60, .42p1/60, 46.4cf% (-3.6rel), 46.9xgf% (-3.1rel) ----- linemates cf%: 50.5%
10.Dumoulin: .69p/60, .47p1/60, 53.3cf% (+2.4rel), 53.8xgf% (+2.5rel) - linemates cf%: 51.6%
This one is even more stark - Rielly is still the best offensive producer, but now the clearcut 3rd best possession guy here, despite having the 2nd worst support.
Also, again, you can see the guys who are in way over their heads in this kind of usage - Hainsey, Braun, Daley - solid guys who simply shouldn't be used in this kind of elite usage role.
P.S. Doughty is a fricken beast.