The trend continues Barrett's rapidly increasing workload over the years. As he has steadily become New Zealand's premier first-five, the on-field demands has risen with it, notably the 2016 Super Rugby campaign.
Without having to rest as tactically as they did in a Rugby World Cup year, All Blacks played on average six per cent more in Super Rugby in 2016 than they did 12 months before.
However, Barrett's workload skyrocketed by 48 per cent, aided by a relatively clean bill of health.
In 2015, he played 932 Super Rugby minutes, but in 2016 he played 1383 - the most in the competition - as the Hurricanes coasted to the title.
Barrett, whose lively schedule has continued with the Canes in 2017, also accumulated 909 minutes with the All Blacks last year, the third most in the squad after the team's skipper Kieran Read (1035) and Ben Smith (952).
Read - whose minutes would surely take a greater physical toll than Barrett's - was granted time off to start the Super Rugby season, while Smith was sidelined by concussion.
Barrett's status as the country's premier first five saw him rack up 600 more minutes than Aaron Cruden over the analysed timeframe, and a remarkable 1100 more minutes than Lima Sopoaga.
Barrett nearly had an involuntary week off after picking up two yellow cards against the Waratahs last week, but was cleared to start against the Blues tonight.
However, with an able back-up first-five at the Hurricanes in Otere Black, a short rest could be of use for Barrett before the Lions visit in June.
Barrett will be one of the key men in this series, the start of arguably the most gruelling international schedule New Zealand have faced.
The All Blacks are set to play 14 tests and two extra games.
They take on the Lions twice in Auckland and once in Wellington after an extra test against Samoa, eight days before the first Lions encounter at Eden Park.
Seven Rugby Championship tests against Australia, South Africa and Argentina follow the Lions series, while they have agreed to play the New Zealand Barbarians in London on November 4 and have tests set in stone against France in Paris on November 11, Scotland in Edinburgh on November 18 and Wales in Cardiff on November 25.
The extra game is still not confirmed but the All Blacks are working through options to play a mid-week fixture in France later this year.
Franks props up numbers
• Owen Franks' status as New Zealand's premier prop is shown in his number of games. Franks has played 1750 minutes since 2016. Joe Moody and Charlie Faumuina clock in as the next busiest props, 350 minutes behind Franks.
•Dane Coles has also shown stamina in a position where early substitutions are commonplace. He has compiled more than 2000 minutes, with Codie Taylor the next prolific, having played 500 fewer minutes.
•It has been a busy year for the new faces in the All Blacks. Scott Barrett and Damian McKenzie both sit in the top six in minutes played after combining brief All Blacks appearances alongside demanding Super Rugby and Mitre 10 Cup seasons.
•Tawera Kerr-Barlow's impressive start to this Super Rugby season could be partially attributed to a relatively sedate campaign in 2016. With Augustine Pulu and Brad Weber also battling for Chiefs halfback duties in 2016, Kerr-Barlow had a light workload, and has relished the opportunity of being the Chiefs incumbent.
•Nathan Harris has had the least game time of anyone to pull on an All Blacks jersey in the past year. The Chiefs hooker suffered a concussion in early 2016, then tore an ACL in August to miss the majority of the year. Harris is targeting a return within the next month to push his case to play against the Lions on their tour of NZ, starting next month.
Minutes Played By All Blacks Since 2016:
1. Beauden Barrett - 2695
2. Malakai Fekitoa - 2414
3. Ben Smith - 2382
4. Aaron Smith - 2301
5. Damian McKenzie - 2272
6. Scott Barrett - 2212
7. Julian Savea - 2171
8. Brodie Retallick - 2166
9. Kieran Read - 2133
10. TJ Perenara - 2128
11. Sam Whitelock - 2116
12. Ardie Savea - 2105
13. Aaron Cruden - 2092
14. Dane Coles - 2074
15. Jerome Kaino - 2001
16. Sam Cane - 1994
17. Ryan Crotty - 1886
18. Anton Lienert-Brown - 1885
19. Israel Dagg - 1819
20. Elliot Dixon - 1766
21. Seta Tamanivalu - 1753
22. Owen Franks - 1750
23. Steven Luatua - 1696
24. Reiko Ioane - 1683
25. Matt Todd - 1652
26. Patrick Tuipulotu - 1600
27. Lima Sopoaga - 1552
28. Codie Taylor - 1532
29. George Moala - 1394
30. Joe Moody - 1392
31. Waisake Naholo - 1330
32. James Parsons - 1321
33. Charlie Faumuina - 1320
34. Wyatt Crockett - 1275
35. Ofa Tu'ungafasi - 1217
36. Luke Romano - 1216
37. Liam Squire - 1180
38. Tawera Kerr-Barlow - 1153
39. Liam Coltman - 1077
40. Kane Hames - 1053
41. Nathan Harris - 506
