 Affleck would spend three seasons as a regular in the Blues' lineup.However, by 1977–78 he was struggling, as he slumped to 18 points and a -56 rating on a St. Louis team which finished with just 20 wins and missed the playoffs.In 1978–79, he would lose his spot on the Blues, playing only 26 games and spending most of the season in the Central Hockey League, where he was named the league's top defender.