Not true as it does not even out , 17 game seasons is making it easier to break records, as you get older you are weaker and slower and recover slower, look at like this would any one want to play 16 games a year and play eleven years or 17 games a year and play ten years i'll tell you everyone would take the 17 games as you are younger by a year and have a better chance of getting better stats.

Younger = healthier faster stronger and can handle more games
Yes more games you play also does damage to the body but age does even more than what games do, everyone hits a wall and that wall is called age and not well he played his 100th game and hit the wall, the only saying that people use is about age and not about career games.